Twelve people have died after a bus carrying Polish tourists overturned on the M3 motorway in Hungary, while the group was returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Local police said the bus crashed near the town of Mezőkeresztes after it “went off the straight road into a ditch and overturned” at around 1am local time. Early reports suggest the driver may have fallen asleep. He survived the crash and has been taken into custody.
The bus was carrying a group of pilgrims from Poland’s south-eastern Podkarpackie region, who were returning from a pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine in Međugorje, in southern Bosnia and Herzegovina. There were 57 passengers and two drivers on board.
Poland’s foreign ministry said “virtually all” passengers were taken to local hospitals in Eger, Debrecen, and Miskolc, with 10 people in serious condition. The Hungarian ambulance service reported that 37 people had minor injuries.
Polish and Hungarian leaders expressed their condolences after the crash. Poland’s president, Karol Nawrocki, said: “With deep sorrow, I received the tragic news of the accident involving a Polish bus in Hungary, in which so many of our compatriots perished.”
“In the face of this unimaginable tragedy, which has touched us all, I join in prayer and profound compassion with the families and loved ones of the victims.”
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A crane lifts the bus from the side of the motorway. Photograph: Zoltán Máthé/EPA
Hungary’s prime minister, Péter Magyar, expressed his “sincere condolences to the families of the victims” and thanked the emergency services involved in the rescue operation.
Poland’s infrastructure minister, Dariusz Klimczak, said the general inspectorate of road transport would carry out enhanced checks on all buses and drivers’ working hours.
The owner of the bus company involved in the crash told Business Insider Polska that the vehicle “was driven by two experienced drivers”.
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The investigation into the crash will be led by a group of Polish prosecutors from the south-eastern town of Krosno, according to a statement from the prosecutors’ office.
Međugorje, despite some doubts about its religious history, is a popular summer destination for Polish Catholics.
In 2022, 12 people died and 30 were injured when a bus carrying Polish pilgrims to Međugorje crashed in Croatia. In 2002, 20 Polish pilgrims died and 31 were injured in a bus crash in Hungary.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs regarding the bus crash involving Polish pilgrims in Hungary
General Questions The Incident
Q What exactly happened
A A bus carrying Polish pilgrims crashed in Hungary resulting in the deaths of 12 people and injuring several others The accident occurred on a major highway
Q Where did the crash take place
A The accident happened on the M1 motorway near the town of Herceghalom which is located southwest of Budapest Hungarys capital
Q When did this happen
A The crash occurred on Friday January 20 2023 during the late evening hours
Q Who were the victims
A The victims were Polish citizens who were on a religious pilgrimage They were heading to a shrine in Medjugorje BosniaHerzegovina
Q How many people were on the bus
A There were 55 passengers and two drivers on board at the time of the crash
Q What caused the accident
A According to Hungarian police the bus driver likely fell asleep at the wheel The bus drifted off the road and crashed into a roadside barrier causing the vehicle to flip over
Q Why was the death toll so high
A The high speed combined with the impact of hitting the barrier caused the bus to overturn Many of the victims were ejected from the vehicle because they were not wearing seatbelts which is common for bus passengers
Q What happened to the injured survivors
A The injured were transported to several hospitals in Budapest and nearby towns Their injuries ranged from minor cuts and bruises to severe fractures and internal trauma
Q Were the drivers among the casualties
A Yes both bus drivers were killed in the crash
Q Was this a tourist trip or a religious event
A It was a religious pilgrimage organized by a Polish Catholic parish The group was traveling to a wellknown Marian shrine
Logistics Response Aftermath
Q How did the Polish government respond
A The Polish government immediately dispatched a special plane to Hungary to transport the survivors and the bodies of the deceased back to Poland The Polish consulate also sent staff to the scene to assist families
