Twelve Killed, At Least 10 Injured in Polish Bus Crash in Hungary

BUDAPEST: Twelve people were killed and at least 10 others seriously injured after a Polish-registered bus overturned on a motorway in eastern Hungary, Hungarian authorities said on Sunday.

The accident occurred in the early hours near the town of Mezőkeresztes, about 140 kilometres east of Budapest, as the bus was travelling towards Nyíregyháza on the M3 motorway. Police said the vehicle veered off the road and overturned in a ditch. Preliminary information indicated that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel.

The bus was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers. It was reportedly returning to Poland after a pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Emergency services rushed to the scene, where several passengers were trapped inside the overturned vehicle. The injured were transported to hospitals in several Hungarian cities for treatment.

Hungarian police said the bus driver was taken into custody as authorities began investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash. The investigation will determine the precise cause of the accident and whether driver fatigue or other factors contributed to the tragedy.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed condolences to the victims and their families, while Polish President Karol Nawrocki also conveyed his sympathy following the deadly accident. Polish and Hungarian authorities are coordinating their response to the incident.

The crash has renewed attention to the safety of long-distance coach travel, particularly the risks associated with driver fatigue on overnight journeys.