Polish tourist bus crash in Hungary kills 12 people
Twelve people died and dozens were injured after a Polish tourist bus overturned on Hungary's M3 motorway. Police suggest the driver likely fell asleep at the wheel.
Polish tourist bus crash in Hungary kills 12 people
Twelve people died and dozens more were injured after a Polish tourist bus overturned into a ditch on a motorway in eastern Hungary.
The accident occurred at approximately 1am local time on the M3 motorway near the town of Mezokeresztes. The bus was traveling eastbound toward the city of Nyiregyhaza when it veered off a straight stretch of road and rolled over. The crash site is located roughly 87 to 90 miles east of Budapest.
Police reported on their website that preliminary information suggests the driver likely fell asleep at the wheel. The driver has since been taken into custody.
Emergency operations began in the early hours of the morning. Hungary's disaster management service stated at 3am that rescue workers had successfully removed 35 people from the coach, though other passengers remained trapped beneath the vehicle. To reach those pinned under the wreckage, emergency services initially attempted to lift the rear axle of the 24-tonne bus before cranes arrived to move the entire vehicle.
Discrepancies exist regarding the number of people on board. Hungarian Interior Minister Gábor Pósfai stated there were 47 people traveling on the bus. However, the state news agency MTI reported that the vehicle was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar confirmed that at least 12 people lost their lives and at least 10 were seriously injured. He offered condolences to the families of the victims and thanked the rescue workers dispatched to the scene.
Images and footage from the crash site showed a badly damaged red vehicle lying on its side in a ditch. Smashed windows were visible, with suitcases and personal belongings scattered across the roadside verge.
The tragedy has prompted responses from high-ranking Polish officials. President Karol Nawrocki expressed deep sorrow
on X, stating:
"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."
Karol Nawrocki, President of Poland, via X
Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski also confirmed the accident involved Polish tourists. He stated on X that the consular service is operational and that the ministry is in contact with Hungarian authorities. Sikorski added that the embassy has established a hotline for concerned relatives and that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide verified information.
While fatal coach crashes are described as relatively rare, Hungary is ranked 7th out of 27 EU countries for the highest number of road fatalities per million inhabitants. According to European Commission figures, 17 bus passengers were killed in collisions in 2021, compared to 267 car occupants.
The event recalls a 2017 accident in Verona, Italy, where a coach carrying Hungarian high school students aged 14 to 18 crashed and caught fire during a return trip from a ski vacation, resulting in 16 deaths.
