Fatal Hungarian motorway crash kills 12 Polish pilgrims
A bus carrying Polish tourists overturned on a Hungarian motorway, killing 12 people. Ten others are in serious condition. The driver, who survived, was taken into custody on suspicion of falling asleep.
The coach veered off the M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes and overturned in a ditch, with the surviving driver detained on suspicion of falling asleep. Injured passengers were transported to hospitals in Eger, Debrecen, and Miskolc, while the vehicle carried 57 passengers and two drivers.
This incident follows previous fatal crashes involving Polish pilgrims traveling to the Međugorje shrine, including a 2022 accident in Croatia and a 2002 crash in Hungary. Polish authorities have announced stricter inspections of commercial buses and driver work schedules, while prosecutors from Krosno will lead the official investigation.
This tragedy could deeply affect the tight-knit Polish Catholic communities involved, prompting renewed scrutiny of long-distance coach travel safety across Europe. The recurring nature of such accidents may lead to stricter enforcement of driver rest periods and vehicle maintenance standards. Furthermore, it could influence how pilgrimage groups assess the risks of overnight journeys, potentially altering travel arrangements and insurance policies for religious tourism in the region.