A bus carrying Polish pilgrims overturned on Hungary’s M3 motorway in the early morning hours, resulting in twelve fatalities and numerous injuries. The incident occurred at approximately 01:00 local time on Sunday when the vehicle veered off the roadway and into a ditch. The motorway connects Budapest with the northeastern city of Nyíregyháza.
Authorities indicated that the bus driver likely fell asleep while operating the vehicle. The driver has been placed into custody pending further investigation. Of the 57 passengers and two drivers aboard the 24-tonne bus, rescue personnel had recovered 35 individuals by the time of reporting. Emergency responders worked to extract trapped occupants from underneath the vehicle, with cranes eventually brought to the scene to lift the entire bus.
Hungary’s ambulance service documented one patient with life-threatening injuries, nine with serious injuries, and thirty-seven with minor injuries across those treated. The bus had been returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina, having transported pilgrims from Podkarpacie, Poland’s southernmost region.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar of Hungary issued a statement expressing condolences to the families affected and hopes for recovery among the injured. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk similarly offered sympathies and announced that a special aircraft carrying foreign ministry officials and medical services would be dispatched to assist. Poland’s Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski indicated that Hungarian authorities had begun questioning the bus driver regarding the incident.
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