A tragic accident on the M3 motorway in Hungary has left 12 people dead after a bus carrying Polish pilgrims overturned. The incident occurred at 1am local time near the town of Mezőkeresztes as the group was returning to Poland from a pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine in Međugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The vehicle was transporting 57 passengers and two drivers, who were from Poland’s south-eastern Podkarpackie region. According to local police, the bus veered off the road into a ditch before overturning. While the driver survived the crash, he has been taken into custody, with early reports suggesting he may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The owner of the bus company stated that the vehicle was operated by two experienced drivers.
Poland’s foreign ministry confirmed that nearly all passengers were transported to hospitals in Eger, Debrecen, and Miskolc. While 10 individuals remain in serious condition, the Hungarian ambulance service reported that 37 other passengers sustained minor injuries.
Official responses followed the disaster, with Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressing his deep sorrow and offering prayers for the victims and their families. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar extended his condolences to the affected families and commended the emergency services for their rapid rescue efforts. In response to the tragedy, Polish Infrastructure Minister Dariusz Klimczak announced that the general inspectorate of road transport would initiate enhanced checks on bus safety and driver working hours. Additionally, the prosecutors' office in the Polish town of Krosno confirmed they will lead the investigation into the crash.
This incident follows previous fatal accidents involving Polish pilgrims. In 2022, a crash in Croatia resulted in 12 deaths and 30 injuries, while a 2002 bus accident in Hungary claimed the lives of 20 Polish pilgrims and left 31 injured.
Another 10 people in serious condition after bus veers off motorway and overturns
