Twelve killed as Polish bus veers off Hungarian motorway
Dozens more are seriously injured after the tourist bus overturned in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Twelve individuals lost their lives and numerous others sustained injuries when a Polish tourist bus veered off a Hungarian motorway and into a ditch early Sunday morning. According to police, the bus overturned after departing the M3 motorway, which links Hungary's capital Budapest to the northeast city of Nyíregyháza, around 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT on Saturday).
Authorities suspect the driver fell asleep at the wheel, leading to the tragic accident. He has since been apprehended by the authorities. Out of the 57 passengers and two drivers on board, 35 have been rescued by firefighters thus far, as reported by state media. Emergency services have been working to lift the rear axle of the 24-tonne bus to free those trapped underneath; cranes were later deployed to lift the entire vehicle, according to news agency MTI.
Hungary's ambulance service reported that one person required life-saving treatment, nine suffered serious injuries, and 37 individuals sustained minor injuries. Prime Minister Péter Magyar extended his sincere condolences to the families of the victims and expressed hope for the speedy recovery of the injured.
Written by urgent.news from BBC World's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
