A tragic incident occurred on a Hungarian highway early Sunday as a passenger bus carrying Polish tourists veered off the road and overturned in a ditch, resulting in 12 fatalities and multiple injuries. The bus, en route to Mezokeresztes on the eastbound lanes of the M3 motorway, approximately 140 kilometers east of Budapest, met with the accident around 1 a.m.
Authorities indicated that the bus driver likely succumbed to fatigue, leading to the mishap, and has been apprehended. According to Hungary’s National Directorate for Disaster Management, the bus was transporting 57 passengers and two drivers, with some passengers trapped beneath the overturned vehicle.
All individuals aboard the bus were confirmed to hold Polish citizenship, as stated by Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór to news agency PAP on Sunday. The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as reported by the regional government in Rzeszow, Poland.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, in a Facebook statement, disclosed that at least 10 individuals sustained severe injuries in the accident. He extended condolences to the victims’ families and expressed gratitude to the swift response of the rescue teams deployed to the site.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki also conveyed his heartfelt condolences, expressing profound sorrow over the tragic event and offering prayers and sympathy to the bereaved families and friends of the victims.