A tragic incident occurred on a highway in Hungary early Sunday as a passenger bus carrying a group of Polish tourists veered off the road and overturned in a ditch, resulting in 12 fatalities and numerous injuries. The accident took place on the M3 motorway near the town of Mezokeresztes, approximately 140 kilometers east of Budapest, around 1 a.m.
Authorities revealed that the bus driver, suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, has been apprehended. The Hungary National Directorate for Disaster Management disclosed that the bus, carrying 57 passengers and two drivers, had several individuals trapped beneath it following the overturn.
According to Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maciej Wewiór, all passengers onboard held Polish citizenship. The passengers, hailing from the southeastern Podkarpackie region, were returning from a pilgrimage in Bosnia-Herzegovina, as confirmed by the regional government in Rzeszow, Poland.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar, in a Facebook statement, acknowledged at least 10 severe injuries and extended condolences to the victims’ families while expressing gratitude to the rescue teams deployed to the scene. Polish President Karol Nawrocki also conveyed heartfelt sympathy and prayers to the affected families through a post on X platform.