A tragic incident occurred in Hungary early on Sunday when 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 on the eastbound lanes near Mezokeresztes, flipped over on the M3 motorway about 140 kilometers east of Budapest around 1 a.m. Authorities reported that the bus driver, suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, has been detained for questioning.
According to Hungary’s National Directorate for Disaster Management, the bus held 57 passengers and two drivers, with several passengers trapped beneath the overturned vehicle. Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór confirmed that all individuals onboard held Polish citizenship.
The passengers, hailing from the southeastern Podkarpackie region, were returning from a pilgrimage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as stated by the regional government in Rzeszow, Poland. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar mentioned in a Facebook post that at least 10 individuals sustained severe injuries. He extended condolences to the victims’ families and commended the swift response of rescue teams at the scene.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed profound sadness over the tragedy, offering prayers and sympathy to the victims’ families and loved ones.