Bulgaria: At least 45 dead after bus crash

At least 45 people including children have died after a bus crashed and then burst into flames in western Bulgaria.

Authorities have said the bus, which was registered in Northern Macedonia, crashed around 2am and there were children among the victims.

Seven people were taken to hospital for treatment.

The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. Officials said an investigation will be launched.

Bulgarian news agency Novinite said representatives from Macedonia’s embassy visited a hospital where some of the victims were taken.

Caretaker Prime Minister Stefan Yanev visited the site of the crash and told reporters it was “a huge tragedy”.

Mr Yanev said: “I take this opportunity to send my condolences to the relatives of the victims. Let’s hope we learn lessons from this tragic incident and we can prevent such incidents in the future.”