41 Israelis snowbound on Hungary-Austria border
Some 50 Israelis who are vacationing in Hungary have
found themselves snowbound when their bus got stuck between Vienna and Budapest
due to heavy snow fall.
The group has not been able to leave the bus since
Thursday afternoon and is stuck without food or water. The group was among
thousands of residents and tourists likewise stuck in their vehicles unable to
continue on their way.
"We've been stuck for over 20 hours without water or
anything. No one has managed to reach us," said Avital Tzadok, one of the
bus passengers. "Someone has to help us," she begged.
The highway between the Austrian and Hungarian capitals
is blocked 90 kilometers out of Budapest. "We're a group of Israelis from
around Israel who happened to meet each other on the bus," Tzadok told
Ynet. Tzadok and 10 other passengers missed their return flights to Israel
because of the storm. The embassy has been contacted, but so far there has been
no response.
The bus began its journey at 8 am on Thursday – when a
light snow was already falling. "We saw several accidents along the way
but didn't think it meant anything. When we got back (from the day trip) at
around 16:45 and already crossed the border back in to Hungary, the storms
started. We've been stuck on the bus since 5 pm on Thursday.
The passengers spent the night on the bus and now fear
they will "run out of fuel, and we'll be left without heating or anything
else."
Tzadok added that ZAKA personnel promised that they would
bring water but it hasn't happened. "We don't know what to do, there is
someone here who suffers from diabetes and doesn't have insulin. There are
little children here and even a baby."
The Foreign Ministry said in response that it is aware of
the situation but that a few more hours are needed in order to rescue the bus
and that the snow plows are working to clear the roads. The ministry further
stated that ambulances and equipment are standing by to offer medical treatment
to those who need it.
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