accident

Hungarian speaker sends condolences to Serbia over tragic Novi Sad railway station collapse

Speaker of Parliament László Kövér has expressed his condolences to Serbian counterpart Ana Brnabic over the railway station disaster that took place in Novi Sad on Friday.

“I was deeply shocked to learn of the tragic number of victims and injured…” the message released on Saturday said.

Terrible catastrophe in Novi Sad (Copy)
Photo: FB/Dr. Pásztor Bálint

“On behalf of the Hungarian parliament, allow me to express my sincere condolences to all those affected by the tragedy, to the families who lost loved ones, whose grief and pain we share. I wish the injured a speedy recovery,” the speaker wrote.

Fourteen people died and around thirty were injured when a section of the railway station entrance collapsed.

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Gas explosion in Tapolca, Hungary forces 200 residents to evacuate

A suspected gas explosion occurred in an apartment on the third floor of a ten-story residential building in Kazinczy Square, Tapolca, last night, according to the National Directorate General for Disaster Management. The explosion caused the balcony to collapse.

Emergency services from Ajka, Keszthely, Badacsonytomaj, and the local Tapolca fire brigade, along with the Veszprém County Disaster Operations Unit, responded to the scene, the National Directorate General for Disaster Management reported. A small fire also broke out in the kitchen of the apartment, but it was quickly extinguished by an off-duty firefighter.

The affected wing of the building was evacuated, with 198 people leaving their homes.

Structural engineers assessed the safety of the building following the explosion.

This is not the first explosion in the so-called Y-buildings of Tapolca this year. In May, a similar gas explosion occurred in another apartment, sending one person to the hospital. Residents at the time were jolted awake by the entire building shaking. The blast took place in a sixth-floor apartment of the building at 13 Kazinczy Square, leading to the evacuation of 102 apartments.

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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com

Breaking: Small plane crashes in Hungary near Dunakeszi

accident plane crashes Dunakeszi

An air accident occurred in Dunakeszi, Hungary: a small plane crashed in a street.

A small plane crashed in Dunakeszi, Dunakeszipost reported. The news was confirmed by the editor-in-chief of the local newspaper, which also published a post on its social media page:

A spokesman for the Budapest Emergency Management Directorate told MTI that the small plane crashed near the intersection of Tőzegtavi Road and Röntgen Street, onto the fence of a factory and a container house. Firefighters contained the spilt fuel from the 40-litre fuel tank damaged in the accident and stopped the leak, 444.hu writes.

According to the National Ambulance Service, several ambulance units and an ambulance helicopter were alerted to the scene. A man in his 60s was taken to hospital by ground ambulance with minor injuries.

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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com

BREAKING NEWS: Explosion at a pharmaceutical factory in Budapest – UPDATE

firefighter explosion fire

This morning, a loud explosion occurred in a pharmaceutical factory on Keresztúri Road, Budapest. A fire followed the explosion.

Although it is not yet known exactly where the explosion and fire originated, it is believed to have happened in one of the laboratories of the pharmaceutical factory complex. Paramedics immediately arrived on the scene, as two of the workers, presumably injured in the explosion, were eventually taken to hospital.

The fire brigade also arrived within minutes and immediately evacuated and sealed off the area of the detonation, in a radius of almost 100 metres. The affected area is now off-limits to anyone except the experts. At the moment, however, it is not known whether the closure is due to security reasons or the fear of further explosions.

Responding to a question from Ripost, the Budapest Police Headquarters said that they were investigating the circumstances of the incident as part of a criminal investigation.

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UPDATE

The pharmaceutical company told MTI that workers immediately extinguished a fire at Egis Gyógyszergyár’s plant in Budapest on Monday morning.

Egis said a solvent used in the production process caught fire, and two people were injured. No hazardous materials were released, it added. When asked by MTI, the Metropolitan Disaster Protection Directorate said measurements by their mobile laboratory showed no dangerous chemicals in the air at the plant.

Hungarian economy minister: Government to support reconstruction of Miskolctapolca cave spa

Márton Nagy, the national economy minister, on Monday, had talks with the elected mayor of Miskolc, in north-eastern Hungary, and said that the government would do everything in its power to help with the reconstruction of the Miskolctapolca cave spa, which burnt down on Friday evening.

Government to support Miskolctapolca cave spa

Besides the loss of income in tourism, closing the badly damaged spa for reconstruction has also put families’ livelihoods at risk, Nagy said during the talks with József Tóth-Szántai.

Tóth-Szántai said the spa was re-organising to keep all its staff, and they were working to redirect tourists to other baths in the city.

The spa, situated on extensive leafy grounds around a string of natural caves, is unique in Europe, and an important Hungarian tourist attraction, the minister and the mayor said at the talks. The spa drew 147,000 visitors in the first seven months of the year, and came close to 300,000 visitors a year before the Covid pandemic, they said.

Miskolctapolca cave spa fire
MTI/Vajda János

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Fire breaks out at Hungary’s iconic cave bath: Roof of medical center destroyed in blaze

miskolctapolca cave bath fire

A fire broke out at Hungary’s most famous cave bath, the Miskolctapolca Cave Bath, affecting the roof of one of its buildings—the medical centre—according to a statement from the National Directorate for Disaster Management on Friday evening.

The department’s website reported that the entire roof structure of the 800-square-meter leisure centre was engulfed in flames.

Roof of Mikolctapolca Cave Bath building in flames

miskolctapolca cave bath fire
Photo: MTI/Vajda János

By late night, the fire was finally contained, and Zsuzsanna Rinyu, deputy spokesperson for the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County Disaster Management Directorate, informed news agencies that efforts to remove smouldering debris were still ongoing, Telex reports.

The firefighting operation involved local professional firefighters using five vehicles, supported by additional units from Kazincbarcika and Tiszaújváros. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Videos shared on Facebook by local residents show the dramatic flames lighting up the night, visible from the park next to the bathhouse:

The cave bath reported on its Facebook page that due to the fire, they are closed today, on the 7th. They added that swim passes (wristbands) purchased from their accommodation partners can be used at the Ellipsum Experience Spa:

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VIDEO: drivers fight with a diversion sign in a road accident on a Hungarian motorway

driver fight motorway HUngary

The Hungarian Concession Infrastructure Development Ltd, the operator of most of Hungary’s state motorways, has published a video showing the drivers of a lorry and a van fight with a road sign on the M3 motorway.

In one classification, the lorry driver tried to gain an advantage by cutting in front of a car, but this failed and the two vehicles ended up behind each other in the classification, the company said. Fed up with the reaction of the trucker behind him, he stopped, they both got out and started the incident.

An argument, a fight with a tool found in a bush, a boxing match and finally the lane signs were called in to help, just in case. All this while scuffling in front of and behind cars dodging them. It’s a wonder it didn’t turn into a hit and run.

the company said in the post. When they were done, they threw the signs to the side and then drove off. The two drivers caused traffic to stop, and it wasn’t until half an hour after they left that the queue of cars broke up.

 

Watch also:

  • Shocking footage of truck driving against traffic on Hungarian motorway – VIDEO
  • Three Hungarians arrested for human trafficking! – VIDEO, PHOTO

Watch: newly released video of train derailment at Budapest Keleti railway station

On Sunday evening, five carriages of the Claudiopolis InterCity 5 train from Cluj-Napoca (Kolozsvár) to Budapest derailed near Keleti station, blocking traffic at the main station. The technical rescue was still underway at dawn on Monday. A man traveling on the train broadcast the events on live video.

As we reported yesterday, on Sunday evening, the Claudiopolis InterCity 5 carriage from Cluj-Napoca derailed on the leading track section in front of the Keleti railway station, Budapest. No one was injured in the accident.

The technical rescue was still under way at dawn on Monday. Technicians are working continuously to recover the derailed wagons so that train services can resume as soon as possible. Keleti station is not accepting or accepting trains for an indefinite period, with trains arriving and departing from other stations in Budapest.

Train tickets are valid:

  • M2, M4 metro and H8 HÉV on all lines,
  • To get to Kőbánya upper station, take trams 23 and 24 between Keleti pályaudvar and Orczy tér, and trams 37 and 37A between Magdolna utca and Kőbánya upper station,
    to Rákos train station from Örs vezér tér by bus 97E, 161, 161E, 168E, 169E (97E and 169E also stop at Rákos).
  • Replacement buses will run on the Keleti railway station (Kerepesi út bus terminus) – Kőbánya upper (Albertirsai út) – Rákos railway station section. The buses will run continuously.

VIDEO:

International railway lines

ICs from Szombathely and Sopron, Railjets, ECs from Vienna, and two-morning long-distance passenger trains from Hegyeshalom (9309, 9307) to and from Budapest-Kelenföld.

The Dacia international high-speed train from Bucharest to Vienna (346) does not call Keleti station. Instead, it can be caught at Ferencváros and Kelenföld stations in Budapest.

According to experts, it will take 1-2 days until normal traffic is restored on the Eastbound, please keep an eye out for more information.

Is the minister responsible for the accident?

After the accident, Dávid Vitézy, a transport expert and former candidate for mayor, sharply criticised János Lázár, the Minister of Transport and Construction, the condition of the capital’s main stations and the more than 50-year-old railway carriages, which, in his opinion, “are a shame to be used as long-distance trains at extra cost”.

So although we don’t know the cause of today’s accident, whether the derailment was caused by the track or by a vehicle failure, the transport minister bears a lot of responsibility, not only in the abstract political sense, but also in terms of direct decision-making – since his every action has not only failed to alleviate the growing crisis of the Hungarian railways, but has only deepened it in recent times

– he said.

UPDATE

One of our readers reported that the line between Gödöllő and Budapest is in chaos. During the morning, there were many delays, but there were also times when the train did not even start, and passengers were not informed.

UPDATE 2

Keleti Station reopening date announced after train derailment incident

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Hungarian boy wanted to take a photo in Norway – tragedy followed (18+)

A 13-year-old Hungarian boy died when he fell into the Bondhuselva river near the town of Sunndal, in south-western Norway, the news portal vg.no said on Monday.

The boy slipped, lost his balance and fell into the river from a rock while seeking to take pictures during a family excursion, the portal said, citing Norwegian police.

It took a rescue team two hours to lift the boy from the river. All efforts to resuscitate him have failed, a local police chief told the portal.

His parents are also hospitalised in a state of shock, according to the portal.

Telex wrote that the boy wanted to take a photo, but slipped on a rock.

Read also:

  • Tragedy: Young foreigner drowns in Lake Balaton (18+) – read more HERE

Featured image: depositphotos.com

Dramatic rise in train-related accidents sparks concern in Hungary

An alarming rise in railway accidents has been observed in Hungary this year, with most incidents caused by reckless driving, speeding, and the disregard of railway signals. Drivers often ignore red lights and use their phones while driving, leading to collisions at railway crossings. This year alone, 570 instances of barrier damage have been reported, marking a significant increase from the previous year.

Rail service disruption, significant delays

máv train vehicle railway accident
A railway accident in Veresegyház, Hungary in 2016. Photo: MÁV

Such accidents not only disrupt rail services but also cause severe delays, sometimes affecting thousands of passengers. The damaged trains often need to be taken out of service for repairs, and in some cases, they are beyond repair and must be scrapped, turizmus.com writes, based on MÁV.

The number of pedestrian accidents, often involving people illegally on the tracks, has also increased. So far this year, 32 such incidents have occurred, resulting in 20 fatalities. Comparatively, during the same period last year, there were 20 pedestrian accidents, with 6 resulting in death.

Cyclists and pedestrians at high risk

Cyclists and pedestrians are also at high risk, especially those who cross tracks without paying attention or using designated crossings. Distractions like headphones, hoods, or mobile phones often prevent them from noticing oncoming trains, leading to tragic outcomes.

Tragically, there has also been a rise in railway suicides, with 73 cases reported this year compared to 52 during the same period last year.

“Get Home Safely!”

dog-friendly travel
Photo: FB / MÁV

MÁV, Hungary’s national railway company, has been actively working to prevent accidents for years. In April 2022, they launched a nationwide safety campaign titled “Get Home Safely!” (“Érj haza bizonságban!“) aimed at educating the public, improving road safety awareness, and reducing accident rates. The campaign includes eye-catching posters placed near railway crossings across the country.

MÁV emphasises that reducing the number of accidents is a shared responsibility and urges both drivers and pedestrians to follow traffic rules diligently, as adhering to them can be a matter of life and death.

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Accident at Sziget Festival: ambulance rushed to nearby hospital

Sziget Festival Budapest

An artist suffered an accident at the Sziget Festival’s Cirque du Sziget. An ambulance was called, which took him to a Budapest hospital.

The festival organisers told Telex that an ambulance car arrived in 10 minutes, providing professional help for the artist in trouble. They added that the artist felt better, and his group decided to hold their next performance despite the accident.

Interestingly, a similar accident happened two years ago at Sziget in the same circus tent. Then, the artist stood on a crane, which caught his leg, and he fell down.

Cirque du Sziget has 1,000 seats, hosting open-air and indoor shows.

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  • Moderate price rise at Sziget Festival this year: here are the prices

Hungarian tourist on board at luxury-boat accident near Egypt

liveaboard boat accident red sea

A Hungarian woman was on board during a boat accident off the coast of Egypt on 26 June, contrary to initial statements on the scene. The crew and all 24 tourists travelling on the vessel were successfully rescued, but the ship itself could not be saved after it hit a coral reef. The Egyptian Environment Minister announced that a thorough investigation will be launched to establish the cause of the accident and its environmental impact.

Telex has learned that, despite initial reports in June that only French guests were on board, a Hungarian woman was travelling on the liveaboard boat that sank on 26 June near Marsa Alam, Egypt. The 36-year-old Hungarian doctor, like the other tourists and crew on deck, escaped unhurt. After the accident, the doctor messaged her sister,

“Don’t worry, I’m alive, but the ship sank.”

A diving holiday that almost ended in tragedy

The accident took place at the Sataya Reef, which is one of Egypt’s most popular sites for divers. The passengers on the cruise ship were planning to spend a week on the liveaboard ship taking part in a diving holiday.

According to reports, the boat accident was brought on by large waves which caused the Exocet, a 40-metre-long vessel, to strike the surrounding coral reef. The ship sustained significant damage from the impact and began to sink. Fortunately, the divers and crew onboard were evacuated and transferred to other nearby vessels, and everyone returned safely to Marsa Alam. As the collision happened in the evening hours, according to Telex, it took nine hours in the dark for the rescue to finish.

However, the tourists’ personal belongings, including their valuable diving equipment, had to be left on board during the rescue. Although the next day local divers went back to salvage what they could, the equipment was not recovered. The sister of the Hungarian doctor on the ship told Telex,

“My sister and her French partner were lucky because when the crew started to evacuate, they grabbed the small bags they had, and among them were my sister’s bags. True, they lost their expensive diving gear, but they were better off than those who came ashore barefoot and left all their stuff on the boat”.

She added that the police had questioned the passengers in connection with the boat accident.

The Exocet belonged to the French dive operator Diving Attitude. After the event, the company wrote in a Facebook post: “Of course, the situation is tough for us, who loved our beautiful boat so much… But for the whole Diving Attitude team, the feeling that comes first is one of great relief to know that all the people present on Exocet were quickly evacuated and returned safely to Marsa Alam.”

Egypt investigates the environmental damage of the boat accident

After the collision with the reef, the liveaboard remained afloat for several hours. It was only later washed away by waves to about two kilometres from the coral reefs. Here Exocet sank, where, as Telex reports, it caused no further environmental damage.

In any case, the Governor of the Red Sea, Major General Amr Hanafy, said that an investigation would be carried out and a detailed report would be prepared on the extent of the damage to the coral reef. Similarly, Egyptian Minister of Environment Yasmine Fouad announced that an investigation would be launched to find out what caused the boat accident and what, if any, effects it would have on the area.

Read also:

  • French tourist’s life saved by lifeguards of the famous Gellért Bath in Budapest – HERE
  • Plane makes emergency landing in Budapest due to two serious incidents – Read HERE

Tragedy: Young foreigner drowns in Lake Balaton (18+)

lake balaton deadly accident

A young foreigner drowned in Lake Balaton, near Siófok, on Saturday, the water rescue services told MTI on Sunday.

lake balaton deadly accident
Photo: MTI/Vasvári Tamás

The youth was with four others on a pedalo before becoming submerged. People on a nearby sailboat phoned for help and a patrol boat was on the scene within minutes. A rescue boat arrived later and divers brought the youth to the surface but were unable to revive the foreigner.

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No Hungarians were injured in Slovakian festival accident

slovakia festival accident

No Hungarians were among the injured when a tent collapsed in stormy weather at the Pohoda Festival, at the Trencin airport in northern Slovakia, on Friday, a spokesman of the Hungarian foreign ministry told MTI on Saturday.

Máté Paczolay said 14 people injured in the accident had been taken to hospital.

The Hungarian consular services are in contact with the festival organisers and the hospitals treating the injured, he added

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Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com

Horrific accident at Balaton Sound festival: woman fell from Ferris wheel

Balaton Sound 2024 what happened

A horrific accident took place on the last day of the Balaton Sound Festival in Zamárdi: a woman fell from the Ferris wheel. The ambulance took her to the hospital. But authorities remain closemouthed about how the tragedy happened and how she is.

According to 24.hu, the Communication Service of the Somogy County Police Department confirmed the accident. However, they only added that they were investigating for reckless endangerment. Thus, they did not share any details about how exactly the accident happened, referring to the interests of the probe.

Pál Győrfi, the spokesman of the National Ambulance Service, said they offered help in 229 cases during the four-day-long festival, mostly because of minor injuries and malaises. That number is a decrease compared to 2023.

Balaton
Balaton Sound Festival. Photo: Facebook/Balaton Sound

They transferred 28 patients to the hospital, including a severely injured woman. However, he was not clear whether she was the woman who fell from the Ferris wheel.

We wrote HERE that this year’s could be the last Balaton Sound festival. This Lake Balaton paradise for electronic music lovers has been organised for 16 years, and the festival saw 100,000 visitors by Saturday. But rumour has it that 2024 will be the last year the event was held because the organisers’ contract expired.

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Hungarian tourist falls off a steep waterfall in Romania – UPDATE: Tourist corrects reports

steep waterfall hungarian tourist romania

A Hungarian tourist was hiking in the Bihor Mountains in Romania when he fell from the steep cliffs of the Săritoarea Bohodei waterfall.

Hungarian tourist suffers serious accident in Romania

steep waterfall hungarian tourist romania
Illustration. Photo: depositphotos.com

Rescue units were sent to search for the Hungarian tourist. However, due to the difficult terrain, he was rescued only after 11 hours, Romanian news site Digi24 reports. The man was injured and taken to hospital, Telex writes.

According to the authorities, the rescue operation took so long because the conditions in the area made it difficult for the rescuers. They had to cut their way through rough terrain and fallen trees to reach the man. It was also difficult to lift the stretcher on which the injured tourist had to be secured.

Once this was done, the man was taken to hospital.

In the last 24 hours, a total of 23 people have been rescued from the mountains in Romania, nine of them in need of medical treatment, Telex concludes.

UPDATE: The tourist was taken to Hungary for treatment

“I didn’t fall off the cliffs of the waterfall, they wouldn’t have brought me down alive,” the injured man told Telex on Sunday morning. He said that, contrary to reports, he did not fall from the steep cliffs of the Săritoarea Bohodei waterfall. The experienced hiker suffered a broken ankle and a dislocated fibula, but says it was not the accident itself but the circumstances of his rescue that were really adventurous.

The accident happened around 7 PM, after the hikers had turned back from the waterfall, which Zoltán said was about 50-100 metres away.

“We were on our way back from the waterfall, on a narrow hiking trail, when I stepped into a ditch with my left foot, my right foot stayed up, twisting my right ankle. I didn’t fall into the waterfall: I probably wouldn’t have been brought down alive,” he said.

As there was no reception at the scene of the accident, Zoltán’s hiking companion had to walk for kilometres before he could make a phone call and call the ambulance.

They waited three hours before the first rescuer arrived, who examined the man at around 10 PM and radioed to alert the others. Four other rescuers arrived, but they were not enough to make the descent with the stretcher safe. Later, more rescuers arrived from different locations, and it took about 15 of them to bring the injured Zoltán down. They finally made it down around 6.30 in the morning.

The man was taken by ambulance to the hospital in Belényes (Beiuș), where it was discovered that he had not only broken his ankle, but also dislocated his fibula. The man is an experienced, well-prepared hiker who knows the Bihor well, “but a false step like that is part of the package,” he says. Zoltán is now in Hungary, where he will continue to be cared for.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com

Shocking: plane crash and fatal car accident in Budapest – 18 + PHOTOS, VIDEO

planes in Hungary plane crash

A young man crashed with his glider near Sóskút, a small Hungarian village in Pest County, just a 20-minute drive from Budapest. Thankfully, he survived the accident and was hospitalised. On Wednesday night, a fatal car accident happened on Budapest’s Árpád Bridge, claiming at least three lives.

According to Szeretlek Magyarország, authorities do not know what was behind the crash. The accident happened on Wednesday. Only the pilot was on the plane. An eye-witness told the press that his head was bleeding and had several injuries on his hand. An ambulance took the young man to hospital.

The accident happened in an unpopulated area of the village’s industrial park.

Hungarian police told Bors, a Hungarian tabloid, that the 26-year-old pilot of the glider suffered light injuries. Police are examining the circumstances of the accident.

planes in Hungary plane crash
Unfortunately, small plane crashes are becoming more frequent in Hungary. Source: Facebook / Keszi Channel

Several similar accidents happened in the last few weeks. On 23 June, a 17-year-old crashed at the Airport of Dunakeszi, suffering life-threatening injuries. She passed away later in the hospital.

A week later, two gliders collided near Nagycserkesz, but both pilots could escape with parachutes, hvg.hu wrote. The pilots (one of them in his 70s, the other in his 50s) were taken to hospital.

Fatal accident on Árpád Bridge

Wednesday night saw a fatal car accident on the Árpád Bridge in Budapest. Three people died, and many were injured after a man crashed into a car with his stolen taxi and then hit another car after driving against traffic, Telex wrote.

Portfolio.hu wrote that the stolen taxi hit a Suzuki Ignis. Then, a Skoda bumped into the latter from the back. Firefighters had to cut people out. Based on the news outlet, the driver of the stolen taxi and a man and a woman sitting in the Suzuki Ignis died in the horrible accident.

Here are some photos:

And a video:

Read also:

  • Fatal air accident in Hungary: small plane crashes – Read more HERE
  • Austrian expert: Severe flight delays caused by Hungarian air traffic controllers – details in THIS article

Featured image: illustration

Plane makes emergency landing in Budapest due to two serious incidents

British Airways emergency landing

A passenger became ill on a British Airways flight, forcing the plane to abort. The aircraft, flying from London to Hong Kong, made an emergency landing in Budapest, seriously causing its braking system to overheat. It is not yet known when passengers can resume their journey.

A British Airways flight from London to Hong Kong was interrupted in Budapest and landed at Liszt Ferenc International Airport late in the evening on Sunday due to a passenger feeling unwell, Budapest Airport said. According to the statement, the plane was overweight due to the amount of fuel in the tanks, and the braking system overheated after landing.

After coming to a standstill, firefighters measured the brakes’ temperature and immediately began cooling them. After cooling them back to operating temperature, they handed the plane over to mechanics.

Budapest Airport said passengers were immediately disembarked as usual and left the aircraft in a few minutes.

The passengers are waiting in the terminal for the airline’s decision on their further travel.

There were 273 passengers and 13 crew members on board.

As written, the tower ordered a state of emergency for a while due to the overweight landing. There was no need to call external forces to deal with the incident; the situation was handled by the Budapest Airport Facilities Fire Department.

The passenger, who was in a bad condition, was taken by ambulance to the South Pest Central Hospital.

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Featured image: depositphotos.com