Eight foreign nationals lost their lives in two separate but closely connected crashes on Hungary’s M1 motorway near Győr early on Friday morning. The accidents have prompted an official response from Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
The fatal incidents occurred within less than an hour of each other on the motorway’s Hegyeshalom-bound carriageway, one of Hungary’s busiest international transport routes linking Budapest with Austria.
First crash leaves lorry driver dead
According to Hungarian police, the first accident happened at approximately 4:30 AM near the 114-kilometre marker of the M1 motorway, close to Győr.
A lorry collided with a road maintenance vehicle before catching fire. The driver of the lorry died at the scene despite emergency services being dispatched immediately.
Authorities launched an investigation and closed the affected section of the motorway while rescue and forensic work began.
Second collision claims seven more lives
Just forty minutes later, at around 5:10 AM, a minibus carrying nine people crashed into a lorry that had been forced to stop because of traffic conditions created by the earlier accident.
The collision occurred near the 113-kilometre marker, only a short distance from the first crash site.
Seven occupants of the minibus died at the scene. Two others were injured and received medical treatment. Police later confirmed that all eight people killed in the two incidents were foreign nationals.
The exact nationalities of the victims have not yet been disclosed.
Motorway closed towards Austria
Following the accidents, police imposed a full closure on the Hegyeshalom-bound side of the motorway.
Traffic has been diverted while investigators examine the circumstances surrounding both crashes. Authorities have urged motorists travelling in the area to exercise extreme caution and follow diversion signs.
The M1 motorway serves as Hungary’s primary westbound motorway corridor and carries significant international freight and passenger traffic every day.
Prime Minister expresses condolences
Reacting to the tragedy, Prime Minister Péter Magyar expressed his condolences to the families of the victims.
“On behalf of the government, I would like to express my sincere condolences to the families of the eight foreign nationals who lost their lives in the motorway accident on the M1 at dawn. We wish a speedy recovery to those who were injured,” he wrote on Facebook.
Government orders review of traffic diversions
In a subsequent statement, Magyar announced that he had requested an immediate report regarding the traffic safety implications of motorway diversions ordered by the motorway concession operator.
Referring to the fatal incidents and reports received following the crashes, the prime minister said he wanted an urgent assessment of whether diversion measures may have affected road safety conditions in the area.
Authorities have not indicated that the diversions played any role in the accidents, and investigations into both crashes are ongoing.
Featured image: illustration, depositphotos.com
