A series of three pile-ups involving more than 259 vehicles occurred on the A2 autobahn highway that links Berlin with the Dutch border near the city of Braunschweig and Hanover.

The crash on the 20-mile section of road injured more than 65 people – ten are in a serious condition.

Three helicopters and 40 ambulances were needed to ferry the injured to various hospitals. In addition, more than 350 firemen and other emergency service workers were called in to clear the carriageways and help the wounded.

The incident occured on Sunday when heavy rain suddenly gave way to blinding sunshine, catching motorists unaware.