A Polish tourist bus overturned on a Hungarian highway on Sunday, resulting in the death of 12 people and leaving at least 10 others seriously injured. The incident occurred around midnight Hungarian time on the M3 highway near Mezokeresztes, east of Budapest. The bus was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers when it veered off the road, ended up in a ditch, and came to rest on its side.
Eleven people died at the scene of the crash, with one more person dying in the hospital afterward, according to RTE. Emergency crews had to pull several passengers from broken windows because they were trapped inside the overturned vehicle. Two cranes were later used to lift the bus out of the ditch, according to the national disaster management agency.
Police said that the driver likely fell asleep while driving, which caused the accident, according to a report from Yahoo News. The Hungarian prime minister announced the number of fatalities on social media and extended his condolences to the families of those who died. He also praised the rescue workers who responded to the scene of the crash.
The Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed that all passengers on the bus were Polish citizens, The Associated Press reported. Hungarian authorities said several of the passengers had been trapped under the vehicle when it overturned. The driver was taken into custody after the crash, according to Hungarian police.
This crash is the worst road accident in Hungary since a train struck a German tourist bus in 2003, killing 33 people. A similar incident occurred in 2002 when a bus carrying Polish pilgrims crashed near Balatonszentgyorgy, killing 19 people. Poland’s Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski expressed sorrow over the event and confirmed that consular services were active.
He said Poland was in contact with Hungarian authorities to assist the victims and their families. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed there were 12 dead. The number of injured passengers included at least ten people with serious injuries.
Emergency services worked quickly to remove those trapped inside the bus and transport others to hospitals. The crash has raised concerns about road safety for tourist buses in Hungary.
IMAGE: TSolange / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 4.0)