BERLIN — At least five people have been killed and others injured in a motorway crash involving a coach near the eastern German city of Leipzig.

The FlixBus coach veered to the right on the busy A9 autobahn before falling on to its side.

The FlixBus service had left Berlin with two drivers and 53 passengers and was on its way to Nuremberg en route to Zurich, the company confirmed.

Officials in the state of Saxony said their thoughts were with the victims.

FlixBus runs coach services in Europe and beyond. It said the accident had happened at around 10:00 (09:00 GMT).

The bus was two hours into its journey at the time of the crash at a junction near Leipzig/Halle airport, to the north-west of the city.

"The exact circumstances of the accident are not yet known," the company said in a statement that said the long-distance service was being run on behalf of FlixBus. "Our thoughts are with all those affected by this accident and their families."

Police said rescue helicopters and a large number of ambulances were immediately called to the scene. Local hospitals were told to prepare for a major emergency.

Coaches have crashed in the past on the A9 motorway near Leipzig, most recently in December. One person was killed in a separate accident in 2019. — BBC