At least 12 people were killed and 10 others seriously injured after a Polish-registered passenger bus carrying tourists overturned in eastern Hungary early Sunday, according to Hungarian authorities.
The accident occurred on the M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes, around 140 kilometres east of Budapest. The bus reportedly veered off the road, entered a ditch and overturned, leaving several passengers trapped or injured, as per AP news.
Hungarian police said emergency services, including police officers, firefighters and rescue teams, rushed to the scene and assisted the injured. Some of those hurt were reported to be in serious condition.
The bus was registered in Poland and was carrying Polish tourists. Polish authorities confirmed that Polish nationals were among those travelling on the vehicle. The identities of those killed and injured had not immediately been released.
Hungarian authorities have taken the bus driver into custody as part of the investigation. Initial reports suggested investigators were examining whether the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, although officials have not established the precise cause of the crash. The investigation remains ongoing.
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Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Polish authorities were in contact with their Hungarian counterparts following the accident and were monitoring the situation.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed condolences to the victims and their families, while Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar also offered his sympathies and praised the emergency personnel involved in the rescue operation.
Magyar announced the casualties in a Facebook post and expressed condolences to the families of those who died. He also thanked rescuers for their swift response at the crash site, according to AP news.
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The deadly accident has prompted close coordination between Polish and Hungarian authorities as officials work to establish the circumstances surrounding the crash and identify those involved.
Authorities said further information about the victims, the condition of the injured and the circumstances leading to the bus leaving the motorway would be released as the investigation progresses.
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