BERLIN, July 3 (Xinhua) -- Police sources said on Monday that 17 people are feared dead after a coach collided with a truck and caught fires in southern Germany, German media n-tv reported.
"We are realistic and will have to report at the end of the day that a lot of deaths," said Juergen Stadter, a police spokesperson.
The tourist coach caught fire after the collision on A9 expressway in Bavaria, leaving at least 31 seriously injured.
The local police authority said on Twitter that there were 46 passengers and two drivers on the bus.
There is only "a spark of hope" that the missing 17 passengers are not in the burning bus. It is still unclear where are these passengers, said Stadter.
At the moment, the A9 expressway has been closed in both directions. Many helicopters are ready on the scene for the rescue.
The accident happened at around 7:00 a.m. local time (0500 GMT) near the Bavarian city of Muenchberg. The coach collided with the truck at the queue end of a traffic jam on the expressway.
