At least twelve people have lost their lives and nearly fifty have been injured in the early hours of this Sunday in an accident involving a Polish-registered bus in Hungary, according to the country's Prime Minister, Péter Magyar.
"Twelve people died and at least ten were seriously injured last night when a Polish bus fell into a ditch on the M3 highway," he reported on his social media.
The head of the Hungarian government, who has not provided further details about what happened, has conveyed in the same message his "sincere condolences" to the families of the victims, in addition to expressing his gratitude to the teams that have intervened in the rescue efforts.
For his part, the Polish Foreign Minister, Radowslaw Sikorski, has confirmed on his social media that "Polish tourists" were traveling in the vehicle. The also Deputy Prime Minister has also pointed out that the consular service is acting on the ground and maintains permanent contact with the Hungarian authorities.
On the bus, which was heading to Vásárosnamény, in eastern Hungary, there were 59 people traveling, including two drivers, as detailed by the Hungarian Interior Minister, Gábor Posfái, on his social media.
According to emergency services, of the 47 injured, ten are in serious condition, while the rest have minor injuries.
The accident occurred around 1:00 AM (local time), when the bus left the M3 highway near Mezokeresztes, about 140 kilometers east of Budapest, fell into a ditch, and ended up overturning on one of its sides.
The police have arrested the driver who was operating the vehicle at that time, who "probably fell asleep," according to a statement released by the authorities themselves.
The Prime Minister of Poland, Donald Tusk, has expressed his "deepest condolences" to the relatives of the victims of the "tragic" incident, in a message on his social media in which he also thanked the "Hungarian services" for their rescue efforts.