Zwickau, Germany - A minibus carrying 11 Polish tourists home from a holiday in Italy crashed on a German highway Monday, killing three of the passengers, police in Saxony state said.

Another five occupants of the bus were seriously hurt when it skidded and overturned.

The driver, 30, of a car involved in the accident was also hurt, but police in the eastern city of Zwickau said they did not know if the car had caused the accident or had simply been "in the wrong at the wrong time."

A man and woman were dead before rescuers could help, and a further woman died in hospital of her injuries.

The bus driver, 29, suffered only minor injuries. (dpa)