Twelve people were killed when a Polish bus overturned overnight on a motorway in eastern Hungary (Geo News; Al Jazeera; France 24).
Eleven were declared dead at the scene and one died in hospital. Ten people were seriously injured and the ambulance service said a further 37 suffered minor injuries.
The passengers were Polish pilgrims returning from Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, travelling from Serbia towards Poland.
The bus ran into a ditch and tipped over early on Sunday near Mezokeresztes, about 140 kilometres east of Budapest, while travelling on the M3 motorway towards Nyiregyhaza. State news agency MTI said there were 57 passengers and two drivers aboard. Images from the scene showed a badly damaged red bus on its side in a ditch, windows smashed and belongings scattered.
“A Polish-registered bus travelling on the M3 motorway towards Nyiregyhaza … veered off the straight stretch of road into a ditch and overturned,” police said. “Preliminary information suggests the driver likely fell asleep.” Police said they were taking the driver into custody.
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar announced the toll in a Facebook post on Sunday morning.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki said on X: “It is with deep sorrow that I received the tragic news of the Polish bus accident in Hungary, in which so many of our compatriots died.”
Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski said the consular service was operational and Poland was in contact with Hungarian authorities. “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide verified information,” he said.
It is Hungary’s worst road accident since 2003, when a train struck a German tourist bus at Siofok, killing 33 people.
