A tragic incident occurred early Sunday in Hungary as a passenger bus veered off the highway and overturned in a ditch, resulting in the death of 12 individuals and injuries to others. The bus, transporting a group of Polish tourists, was traveling on the eastbound lanes close to Mezokeresztes when the accident happened on the M3 motorway, approximately 140 kilometers east of Budapest around 1 a.m.
Authorities reported that the bus driver may have fallen asleep, leading to the crash, and the driver has been detained. Hungary’s National Directorate for Disaster Management stated that there were 57 passengers and two drivers on board, with several passengers trapped under the overturned bus.
According to the Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór, all passengers on the bus held Polish citizenship. The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as confirmed by the regional government in Rzeszow, Poland.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, in a Facebook statement, mentioned that around 10 individuals sustained severe injuries. He expressed condolences to the victims’ families and commended the efforts of the rescue teams at the site. Polish President Karol Nawrocki also conveyed his profound sadness over the tragic incident, extending prayers and sympathy to the affected families and loved ones.