BUCHLOE, Germany | Two people were killed and at least 26 others injured when a tour bus carrying a Filipino travel group to Munich’s Oktoberfest left the A96 motorway near Buchloe in Bavaria and overturned early Sunday, according to German police and reporting by Süddeutsche Zeitung based on Deutsche Presse-Agentur information.
The crash happened shortly before 6 a.m. between the Buchloe-Ost and Landsberg am Lech-West exits. Police said the bus left the road to the right without involvement from another vehicle, overturned at the roadside and came to rest near a wooded area. The A96 was closed in both directions while emergency crews responded.
The passengers were part of a closed Filipino tour group traveling from Milan to Munich for Oktoberfest. German authorities said around 35 people were aboard, although earlier reports had put the number considerably higher. Two bus drivers accompanied the group and were not injured. The driver at the time of the crash was an Italian national, according to police.
Six people were taken to hospitals by rescue helicopters, including one who was in life-threatening condition. Two others were transported by ambulance, while additional members of the group were treated at an emergency assembly point. German authorities initially reported about 25 people with minor injuries, although the number of injured was later reported as 26. The identities of the two people who died had not immediately been released.
The cause of the crash remained under investigation. The public prosecutor’s office commissioned an expert to help determine how the bus left the motorway. Police said the immediate priority was the rescue and treatment of those involved before investigators established the precise circumstances of the accident.
The crash occurred as Munich’s Oktoberfest was drawing large crowds. Bavarian public broadcaster Bayerischer Rundfunk described the festival as the world’s largest folk festival, with hundreds of thousands of visitors attending daily during the event.
Oktoberfest dates back to 1810, when celebrations were held in Munich for the marriage of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria and Princess Therese. What began as a royal wedding celebration eventually developed into the annual festival known internationally as the Wiesn.
For the Filipino travel group, however, the journey toward one of Germany’s most famous celebrations ended in tragedy. German authorities are continuing the investigation while emergency and diplomatic officials work to establish the identities and circumstances of those affected.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
- Venus L Peñaflor
