A bus travelling from Stockholm to Berlin has come off a major road in north-eastern Germany and overturned, injuring 22 people, authorities said.

The accident happened at about 6.30am at Linstow, near Rostock, on the A19. The bus veered into a ditch next to the highway and ended up on its side.

FlixBus, the main operator of long-distance buses in Germany, said the bus was heading from Stockholm to Berlin via Copenhagen. Ferries from Scandinavia arrive in Rostock.

The bus lies beside the A19 in Linstow
The bus lies beside the A19 in Linstow (Bernd Wuestneck/dpa/AP)

Police said there were 61 passengers and two drivers on board from 22 countries.

They said 16 people sustained medium to serious injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals, while the remaining passengers were looked over at an aid station in the nearby city of Guestrow and six were taken to hospital with light injuries.

It was not clear why the bus left the road. No other vehicles were involved.

Police said the driver was questioned and a breathalyser test showed an alcohol level of zero. Investigators were analysing an on-board data recorder to try to understand the accident.