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 people were killed and dozens more injured when a bus carrying Polish pilgrims veered off a Hungarian motorway and into a ditch. Police said the bus overturned after coming off the M3 motorway, which connects Hungary's capital Budapest with the north-eastern city of Nyรญregyhรกza, at around 01:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT on Saturday). Officers believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel.
He has been taken into custody. Thirty-five out of the 57 passengers and two drivers onboard have been rescued by firefighters so far, state media reports. Emergency services had been attempting to lift the rear axle of the 24-tonne bus to remove the people trapped underneath before cranes arrived to lift the whole vehicle, according to Hungarian news agency MTI. Hungary's ambulance service said it had treated one person with life-threatening injuries, nine people with serious injuries and a further 37 people with minor injuries.
The country's Prime Minister Pรฉter Magyar offered his "sincere condolences" to the families of the victims and wished those injured a speedy recovery. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk echoed his sentiments, adding he had decided to send a "special" Polish aircraft with foreign ministry officials and medical services. The bus had been returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and had been carrying pilgrims from Poland's southernmost region of Podkarpacie, according to Polish news agency PAP. Poland's Foreign Minister Radosลaw Sikorski said his Hungarian counterpart had told him police had already begun questioning the bus driver.
โก Effects Interpreter
๐World Economy
- โถMarkets around the world might take their cue from how this story unfolds.
- โถTrade and investment between countries could shift a little if things escalate.
๐๏ธLocal Economy
- โถHousehold budgets could notice a small ripple before long.
- โถLocal suppliers who import goods could pass on any change in costs.
๐ฆRates & Banks
- โถCentral banks watch moments like this closely, so keep an eye on savings rates.
- โถBorrowing costs might hold steady for now, but they can turn on fresh news.
โค๏ธHealth
- โถCommunity wellbeing might dip a little while people wait for clarity.
- โถLocal health services could get busier depending on how things develop.
๐ทWealth
- โถSavings and portfolios can see short-lived ups and downs after this kind of news.
- โถIt may be worth a quick look at your ISA or pension in the coming days.
๐ Housing
- โถHome costs usually respond later, once the bigger picture settles.
- โถFirst-time buyers might keep half an eye on mortgage rates after this.