Truck spills 10,000 beer bottles onto road

Driver loses more than 12,000 euros in cargo

Volunteers took part in a large salvage operation to clear the beer (Mannheim Police)

A German truck driver spilt 10,000 beer bottles while driving through the country’s southwest, causing a roadblock and triggering a salvage operation.

Police officers said the 53-year-old driver was travelling on Friday near Leutershausen, Bavaria, when he approached a roundabout.

The man was transporting 1,280 full beer boxes on his semi-trailer.

While driving around the roundabout around 40 per cent of the cargo fell off his truck and onto the road below.

The accident occurred at around 7.30pm on Friday.

The driver is thought to have lost 12,000 euros (£10,900) in cargo.

Mannheim police said volunteer firefighters from two nearby towns and a local civil defence team took part in the salvage operation.

It took 29 workers to clear the road.

A blockade and diversion was in place at the roundabout for around six hours, a spokesperson said. It was lifted at around 2am on Saturday.

Police said the truck driver was being investigated for insufficiently securing his cargo.

Additional reporting by agencies