Polish bus crash in Hungary kills 12, embassy opens hotline

A tragic bus accident on Hungary's M3 highway has claimed the lives of 12 Polish citizens and left seven others in critical condition. The bus, carrying a pilgrimage group of 59 people returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina, veered off the road and overturned near the town of Mezőkeresztes around 1 a.m. Sunday.

In response to the disaster, the Polish embassy in Budapest has established a dedicated hotline for the families of those affected. Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski announced the hotline, emphasizing that it is intended for the relatives of the victims. He cautioned that the line might experience temporary overloads due to high call volumes.

Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar was the first to report the incident. Hungarian police confirmed that the bus was traveling towards Nyíregyháza when the accident occurred. The Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs later confirmed the casualty figures and stated that consular services are actively engaged and in contact with Hungarian authorities.

According to preliminary information from Hungarian police, the driver of the bus, who was reportedly asleep at the wheel, has been detained. Of the 59 Polish citizens on board, 12 died, seven are in very serious condition and hospitalized, and the remaining 40 sustained minor injuries.