Poland minibus crash kills 18 in dense fog

Eighteen people died today when a minibus crashed head-on into a lorry while trying to overtake in heavy fog 50 miles south of Warsaw.

The dead were seasonal workers on their way to pick apples and plums near Nowe Miasto. Fourteen of the victims were men and four were women.

Police said the Volkswagen minibus, which swerved into the opposite lane, was carrying too many people. The van was designed to carry six people, yet three times as many were squeezed in on wooden boxes and planks without seatbelts. The lorry driver was slightly injured.

Polish media said it was one of the worst road accidents in the country's history.