Polish pilgrims bus overturns in Hungary, 12 dead, 10 seriously injured

A bus carrying 57 Polish pilgrims and two drivers overturned on a Hungarian highway early Monday, killing 12 and seriously injuring 10 others. The vehicle veered off the M3 highway near Mezokeresztes, plunging into a ditch before flipping over.

Initial investigations point to driver fatigue as a potential cause. The driver survived the crash and is in police custody. The pilgrims were returning to Poland after visiting the Catholic holy site of Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

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I am deeply saddened by the tragic news of a bus accident involving Polish citizens in Hungary.

Most of the injured were transported to hospitals in Eger, Debrecen, and Miskolc. Hungarian emergency services reported that 37 individuals sustained minor injuries, while 10 remained in critical condition. Polish President Andrzej Duda and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán offered condolences to the victims' families. Poland's Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak announced that the General Directorate for Road Transport would enhance checks on bus and driver working hours following the incident.

The bus company's president told local media that the bus was operated by "two experienced drivers." An investigation team comprising prosecutors from Poland's southeastern Krosno region will determine the cause of the accident. Medjugorje is a popular pilgrimage site for Polish Catholics, despite historical controversies surrounding its religious authenticity. This incident echoes past tragedies, including a 2022 bus crash in Croatia that killed 12 and injured 30, and a 2002 accident in Hungary that claimed 20 lives.

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The bus was operated by two experienced drivers.