At least 12 killed as Polish pilgrimage bus overturns in Hungary
The Polish tour group was returning from Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where visions of the Virgin Mary have been reported.
A bus carrying Catholic pilgrims returning to Poland collided with another vehicle on a Hungarian motorway, resulting in at least 12 deaths and numerous injuries. The tragic accident occurred early Sunday morning when the bus veered off the M3 motorway, which connects Budapest with the city of Nyíregyháza. Police suspect driver fatigue as the probable cause, with the driver reportedly falling asleep at the wheel.
The pilgrimage group had recently visited Medjugorje, a renowned Catholic pilgrimage site in Bosnia and Herzegovina known for reported visions of the Virgin Mary.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed his condolences to the Polish people, stating, "I spoke on the phone with the Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. I expressed my condolences to the Polish people for the terrible night bus accident." The bus was transporting 57 passengers and two drivers at the time of the incident, according to Hungarian news agency MTI.
Emergency responders worked to extricate passengers from the 24-ton bus, ultimately requiring cranes to lift the entire vehicle. Hungarian Interior Minister Gábor Pósfai confirmed the death toll at 12, with several of the injured in critical condition. The driver remained in custody following the incident.
Written by urgent.news from Politico EU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
