Motorists travelling on the Hungarian M1 motorway between Budapest and Vienna have been diverted onto alternative routes after a high-speed crash claimed the lives of 500 rabbits, The Telegraph reports.

The tragedy occurred when a lorry carrying thousands of rabbits in plastic crates overturned at high speed. The survivors of the disaster made good their escape onto the carriageway's temptingly grassy verges, although more than 4,000 had been recaptured by midday.

The road is expected to remain closed for several hours "while clear-up efforts continue". ®

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