Twelve killed as Polish bus veers off Hungarian motorway

Twelve individuals lost their lives and dozens more sustained injuries when a bus carrying Polish pilgrims veered off a Hungarian motorway and crashed into a ditch. Police stated that the bus overturned after departing the M3 motorway, which links Budapest, Hungary's capital, with the northeastern city of Nyíregyháza, around 01:00 local time on Sunday (23:00 GMT on Saturday).

Investigators suspect the driver fell asleep while operating the vehicle, and he has been placed under arrest. Thirty-five out of the 57 passengers, as well as two drivers onboard, have been rescued by firefighters thus far, according to state media reports. Emergency services have been working to lift the rear axle of the 24-tonne bus in order to retrieve those trapped underneath, with cranes eventually lifting the entire vehicle, as reported by Hungarian news agency MTI.

Hungary's ambulance service stated that one individual required life-saving treatment, nine others had serious injuries, and an additional 37 people suffered minor injuries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk conveyed his condolences to the affected families, expressing hope for the speedy recovery of those injured. Tusk also informed that he had decided to dispatch a "special" Polish aircraft with foreign ministry officials and medical personnel.

"We stand united in this trying time," he emphasized. The bus had been en route from Bosnia and Herzegovina, having transported pilgrims from Poland's southwestern Podkarpacie region, as per Polish news agency PAP. Poland's Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski informed Hungary's counterpart that police had already commenced questioning the bus driver.