- A bus carrying Polish pilgrims crashed in Hungary, leaving 12 dead.
- Injured passengers were taken to hospitals in Eger, Debrecen and Miskolc; 10 people were in serious condition and 37 sustained minor injuries.
- Polish president Karol Nawrocki expressed deep sorrow and joined in prayer with the victims' families.
- Poland’s infrastructure minister Dariusz Klimczak announced enhanced checks on buses and drivers' working hours.
- The bus company owner said the vehicle was driven by two experienced drivers; Polish prosecutors from Krosno will lead the investigation.
Twelve people died when a bus carrying Polish pilgrims overturned on the M3 motorway in Hungary early Sunday morning. The bus, which was returning from a pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine in Međugorje, had 57 passengers and two drivers onboard.
Local police reported that the bus crashed near Mezőkeresztes after it went off the straight road into a ditch and overturned at 1am local time. Early investigations suggest the driver may have fallen asleep before the accident. He survived and is currently in custody.
Poland’s foreign ministry confirmed that virtually all passengers were taken to hospitals in Eger, Debrecen, and Miskolc, with 10 individuals in serious condition. The Hungarian ambulance service reported that 37 people sustained minor injuries.
Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, expressed his condolences, stating, “With deep sorrow, I received the tragic news of the accident involving a Polish bus, in which so many of our compatriots perished.” He offered prayers and compassion to the victims' families. Hungary’s Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, also extended his condolences and thanked emergency services for their efforts.45
In response to the tragedy, Poland’s infrastructure minister announced that the general inspectorate of road transport would conduct enhanced checks on all buses and drivers’ working hours. The investigation into the crash will be led by Polish prosecutors from Krosno.78
“Ten passengers were in serious condition and 37 sustained minor injuries, with hospitals in Eger, Debrecen and Miskolc receiving the wounded. Poland's infrastructure minister announced enhanced checks on buses and drivers' working hours, while prosecutors from Krosno lead the investigation.”
The Guardian
