A bus carrying Polish tourists crashed on a highway in Hungary early Sunday, resulting in 12 fatalities and leaving several passengers injured. The vehicle went off the road and overturned in a ditch near the town of Mezokeresztes.
Police reported that the bus was traveling on the eastbound lanes of the M3 motorway, approximately 140 kilometers east of Budapest, around 1 a.m. local time. It is suspected that the driver fell asleep at the wheel, leading to the accident. The driver has since been taken into custody.
According to Hungary's National Directorate for Disaster Management, 57 passengers and two drivers were on board at the time of the incident. Some passengers were trapped beneath the vehicle after it overturned.
All individuals on the bus were Polish citizens, the Polish Foreign Ministry confirmed. The group hailed from Poland's southeastern Podkarpackie region and were returning from a pilgrimage in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar stated that at least 10 people sustained serious injuries. He extended condolences to the victims' families and acknowledged the efforts of the rescue teams.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his profound sorrow, offering prayers and sympathy to the families and loved ones of those affected.