Tourist bus crashes in Bulgaria; 16 reported killed

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Bulgarian authorities say a tourist bus has flipped over on a highway near Sofia, the capital, killing at least 16 people and leaving 26 others injured.

Police said a bus carrying tourists on a weekend trip to a nearby resort overturned and then fell down a side road 20 meters (66 feet) below the highway. The accident happened at 5:10 p.m. Saturday about 20 kilometers (12 miles) north of Sofia.

Ambulances rushed to the scene and took the injured to Sofia hospitals. Doctors said some of them were in critical condition.

Health Minister Kiril Ananiev gave an initial death toll of 15, but doctors from Sofia’s emergency hospital said another bus victim died Saturday night.

The major of Bozhurishte, north of Sofia, told reporters that all the passengers were from his village.

The government declared Monday a national day of mourning for the victims.

Italian church will take most migrants from ship

ROME (AP) — Italian Premier Giuseppe Conte says the Italian Catholic church will take most of the migrants who have been stuck aboard an Italian coast guard ship for days.

Conte’s office quoted him as saying Saturday night that the Italian bishop’s conference will take 100 of the migrants and Albania and Ireland will take 20 each. The move ends a standoff Italy had begun earlier in the week with the European Union over the migrants’ fate.

Fifty others of the 190 people rescued at sea on Aug. 16 by the Italian coast guard were previously left off the ship, many for health reasons. Most of the migrants are from Eritrea.

Conte also expressed his displeasure that more EU nations didn’t offer to take in the migrants. He said Italy wouldn’t approve the EU-multi-year budget unless policy changed.

Italian state TV says Italy’s interior minister is being investigated for his role in forbidding migrants rescued at sea to disembark in Italy.

Minister Matteo Salvini indirectly confirmed the report Saturday night, tweeting that a Sicilian prosecutor asked him for his personal data and that “if he wants to interrogate me or even arrest me because I defend the borders and security of my country, I’m proud.”