Twelve dead after Polish tourist bus crashes off Hungarian motorway
A Polish tourist bus veered off Hungary's M3 motorway early Sunday, killing 12 people and injuring dozens more. Police suspect the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
Twelve people have died after a Polish tourist bus left Hungary's M3 motorway and overturned in a ditch in the early hours of Sunday, at around 01:00 local time.
The motorway connects the capital Budapest with Nyíregyháza in the country's north-east. Police believe the driver fell asleep before the crash and he has since been taken into custody.
Rescue operation
The bus was carrying 57 passengers along with two drivers. Firefighters have so far pulled 35 people from the wreckage, according to state media. Emergency crews initially worked to raise the rear axle of the 24-tonne vehicle to free those trapped beneath it, before cranes arrived on scene to lift the bus entirely, news agency MTI reported.
Hungary's ambulance service said one person was treated for life-threatening injuries, nine for serious injuries, and 37 for minor injuries.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar offered condolences to the victims' families and wished the injured a swift recovery.
