A devastating early-morning highway accident has left 12 people dead and multiple others injured after a passenger veered off the roadway and overturned in a roadside ditch in eastern Hungary, local law enforcement confirmed Sunday. The collision unfolded at approximately 1 a.m. local time, roughly 87 miles (140 kilometers) to the east of Hungary’s capital city of Budapest, according to initial police accounts.
The passenger bus involved in the crash carries Polish registration plates, investigators confirmed. Based on early evidence gathered at the crash site, law enforcement officials have stated that the most probable cause of the incident is driver drowsiness, with the operator likely falling asleep at the wheel before losing control of the vehicle.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar publicly addressed the tragedy in a statement posted to his official Facebook page, updating that at least 10 of those injured in the crash were in serious condition. Magyar extended his deepest condolences to the family members and loved ones of the 12 people who lost their lives, and also offered formal recognition and gratitude to the first responders and rescue teams that were rapidly dispatched to the remote crash site to extract survivors and provide emergency care.