Europe

Hungary marks day of mourning for victims of fiery bus crash

Associated Press
Published | Updated

The national flag is hoisted then lowered to half-staff by honour guards during a ceremony to mark the day of mourning observed for victims of the crash of a Hungarian bus in Italy in front of the Parliament building in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. A bus carrying Hungarian secondary school students from France back to Hungary crashed on a highway near Verona last Friday night killing 16 and injuring 26 people. (Tamas Kovacs/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

Budapest students light candles and put flowers at a makeshift memorial outside Szinyei Merse Pal Secondary School to pay tribute to victims of the crash of a Hungarian bus in Italy in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. Hungary observes a day of national mourning after a bus carrying students of this secondary school from France back to Hungary crashed on a highway near Verona last Friday night killing more than a dozen people. (Bea Kallos/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

A survivor, right, is embraced by another girl as they stand at a makeshift memorial outside Szinyei Merse Pal Secondary School to pay tribute to victims of the crash of a Hungarian bus in Italy in Budapest, Hungary, Monday, Jan. 23, 2017. Hungary observes a day of national mourning after a bus carrying students of this secondary school from France back to Hungary crashed on a highway near Verona last Friday night killing more than a dozen people. (Bea Kallos/MTI via AP) (The Associated Press)

Hungary's national flag has been raised and then lowered to half-staff on a towering flagpole outside parliament as the country marked a day of mourning for the victims of a fiery bus crash in Italy involving students and teachers from a Budapest high school returning from a ski trip.

Prime Minister Viktor Orban, President Janos Ader and other officials took part in the ceremony Monday morning at Kossuth Square.

Sixteen people, mostly students, were killed in the crash late Friday near Verona, Italy. Two adults remain in critical condition in Italy while most of the other survivors have returned to Budapest. The causes of the accident — in which the bus crashed into a guardrail before smashing into an overpass support column and bursting into flames — are still unknown.