A devastating incident unfolded in the pre-dawn hours on Sunday when a Polish tourist coach overturned on the M3 motorway in north-east Hungary, between the towns of Mezőkeresztes and Mezőnagymihály. The accident claimed the lives of twelve individuals, leaving at least ten others seriously injured and prompting a rapid, complex rescue operation.
Emergency services were dispatched to the scene, where firefighters immediately began the difficult task of extracting passengers from the wreckage. Reports from the disaster management service indicated that by 3 a.m., thirty-five people had been successfully rescued from the coach. However, the grim reality was that several passengers remained trapped beneath the vehicle, a testament to the severity of the crash. Rescue units were forced to gain entry through the coach’s windows, working against time in the darkness to free those caught inside.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar swiftly addressed the tragedy, confirming the fatalities through his social media channels. He conveyed his profound condolences to the families of those who perished and extended wishes for a swift recovery to the injured. The Prime Minister also publicly acknowledged and thanked the dedicated emergency personnel involved in the rescue efforts, highlighting the critical nature of their work in such a dire situation.
Across the border, Polish authorities reacted with similar gravity. The Polish foreign minister confirmed the disaster, stating that Polish officials were in continuous communication with their Hungarian counterparts to ascertain further details. Polish President Karol Nawrocki also offered his sympathies, remarking, “I join in prayer and extend my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the victims,” underscoring the international impact of the event.
Further details emerged from Hungarian Interior Minister Gábor Pósfai, who confirmed that a total of 47 people were aboard the coach when it veered into a ditch. Among the survivors, many sustained serious injuries, necessitating immediate medical attention. In a significant development, Minister Pósfai also announced that the driver of the vehicle involved in the accident has been taken into custody, indicating that an investigation into the cause of the rollover is already underway. The full scope of the incident and the factors contributing to the coach overturning remain subjects of ongoing inquiry by Hungarian authorities.
