BERLIN, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Fourteen people have been taken to hospital, including two in critical condition, after a bus veered off the road and crashed into a tree in Hamburg, Germany, on Thursday afternoon, police said.
In its latest press release, Hamburg police did not provide an exact number of casualties. However, German public broadcaster NDR reported that 21 people were injured, while news agency dpa said at least 16 were hurt.
According to police, the accident occurred at around 1:00 p.m. local time (1200 GMT). For reasons that remain unclear, the bus first struck two cars parked along the roadside before the driver lost control of the vehicle, which then crashed into a tree.
The impact injured several passengers and caused severe damage to the bus. The 69-year-old driver was trapped in the cab due to the force of the collision.
Police are investigating whether a sudden medical emergency suffered by the driver may have contributed to the accident. ■
