Twelve people have been killed and dozens injured after a Polish-registered tourist bus crashed on Hungary’s M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes early on Sunday morning.
According to police, the accident happened at around 1 AM on 16 August on the motorway’s carriageway towards Nyíregyháza, shortly after the Mezőkeresztes exit. The coach left the road and overturned in a ditch.
Police said their current information suggests that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel. The driver is being taken into police custody.
Dozens injured in the crash
The National Ambulance Service (OMSZ) said 14 ambulance units were dispatched to the scene under the mass-casualty protocol.
Twelve people died in the accident.
One person was treated with life-threatening injuries, nine suffered serious injuries, while another 37 people sustained less serious injuries.
The injured were treated at the scene before being taken to hospitals in Miskolc, Debrecen, Nyíregyháza and Eger. The disaster management authority said 57 passengers and two drivers had been travelling on the tourist coach.
The rescue operation was particularly difficult because several passengers were trapped beneath the overturned vehicle. By around 3 AM, firefighters had rescued 35 people from the bus.
Rescue operation required cranes
The 24-tonne coach had to be moved to allow rescuers to reach people trapped underneath it. Civilian cranes were called to the scene, while firefighters used winches to lift the rear axle of the vehicle until the cranes arrived.
A heated bus was also sent to the scene to provide shelter for those affected by the crash, while a replacement coach was dispatched from Poland.
The motorway was closed in the affected area while police investigated the crash and rescue crews worked at the scene. Traffic was diverted off the M3 at Mezőkeresztes, with drivers able to rejoin the motorway at Emőd.
Polish authorities in contact with Hungary
The tragedy prompted condolences from Hungarian and Polish officials. Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed his condolences to the victims’ families and thanked the emergency services and civilians involved in the rescue operation.
Hungary’s Foreign Minister Anita Orbán said Hungarian authorities were carrying out the necessary rescue and medical procedures, while the Polish embassy was continuously working on matters concerning the Polish citizens affected by the accident.
Polish President Karol Nawrocki also expressed his condolences to the families of those killed, describing the crash as an unimaginable tragedy. Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said Polish diplomatic officials were in contact with the Hungarian authorities.
The investigation and technical rescue operation are ongoing.
Video of the rescue:
