Twelve people were killed and dozens more injured when a Polish tourist bus veered off a Hungarian motorway and fell into a ditch. The incident occurred around 01:00 local time on Sunday when the vehicle left the M3 motorway, which links Budapest with Nyíregyháza.
Police say the driver fell asleep at the wheel and was taken into custody. Of the 57 people aboard, 35 passengers and two drivers have been rescued by firefighters so far.
Emergency crews first tried to lift the rear axle of the 24‑tonne bus to free those trapped underneath, before cranes arrived to lift the whole vehicle. The Hungarian Ambulance Service treated one person with life‑threatening injuries, nine with serious injuries and 37 with minor injuries.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar offered his sincere condolences to the victims’ families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.
