Multiple casualties were feared this morning after two aircraft collided at 30,000 feet over southern Germany. A Boeing 757 and Tupolev 154 crashed above the German state of Baden-Wuerttemberg shortly before midnight.
Eyewitnesses reported a number of dead bodies close to the crash site. It was reported that the planes went down near a school.
There were reports of burning buildings and it is feared that there may be a number of ground casualties.
A police spokesman said two bodies had been found and debris from the crash was spread over a 30 to 40 km (20 to 25 miles) area near Lake Constance, which lies on the borders of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. A spokesman for the interior ministry of Baden-Wuerttemberg said it was not immediately clear how many people were aboard the planes.
The aircraft went down near the city of Sigmariegen, near Lake Constance, last night, he said, adding that pieces of the plane had been found scattered for miles.
An eyewitness speaking to State German ARD television said he saw two large balls of fire in the sky.
Crash investigators and emergency services were rushing to the scene this morning. It was feared that the extent of the debris may make it difficult to establish a cause for the tragedy or to estimate a death toll.
The Tupoloev freight jet has a patchy safety record. Last October a Sibir Airlines plane crashed above the Ukraine. There were unconfirmed reports that a Ukrainean missile had been fired at the plane.
The Boeing 757 has a capacity to accommodate up to 220 passengers.
An eyewitness reported seeing bodies on a golf course in the area.