Zagreb: A Poland-registered bus carrying pilgrims to Bosnia slammed off a highway in the northern Croatia At least 12 people were killed and several others were injured in the early hours of Saturday, police and officials said. Croatian police said on Twitter that “11 people were killed and several injured, according to preliminary information from the ground, when a bus with a Polish license plate skidded”.
Another passenger later died in hospital and 43 people were on the bus, officials said.
Croatia’s state HRT television reported that about 30 people were injured, many more seriously. It said the most likely cause of the accident was the driver falling asleep.
The broadcaster showed a video of a blue bus broken into a ditch beside the highway. The bus was on its way to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.
Polish Prime Minister Mateuszw morawiecki said the bus was carrying pilgrims to a Catholic shrine in Medjugorje, a city in southern Bosnia. This temple is the third most popular pilgrimage site in Europe after Lourdes and Fatima, although the Vatican has not verified any of the alleged miracles that witnesses claimed to have seen there.
“This morning, I spoke about the details of the tragedy with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Ledi Plenkovi, who assured the full support of Croatian medical services,” Moraviki said on Facebook.
“I recommended our consular services to organize a support organization for the families of those who took part in the accident.”
Croatian Interior Minister dvar boznik said the bus had left “a place near Warsaw” and that “according to some information,” it was carrying pilgrims to Medjugorje.
The accident occurred at 5:40 a.m. local time (3:40 a.m. GMT) on the A-4 highway, about 50 kilometers (30 mi) north of Zagreb, which is busy during the peak of the tourist season.
A rescue team was sent to the accident site. The investigation into the accident was ongoing, Croatian media reported.
Another passenger later died in hospital and 43 people were on the bus, officials said.
Croatia’s state HRT television reported that about 30 people were injured, many more seriously. It said the most likely cause of the accident was the driver falling asleep.
The broadcaster showed a video of a blue bus broken into a ditch beside the highway. The bus was on its way to Zagreb, the capital of Croatia.
Polish Prime Minister Mateuszw morawiecki said the bus was carrying pilgrims to a Catholic shrine in Medjugorje, a city in southern Bosnia. This temple is the third most popular pilgrimage site in Europe after Lourdes and Fatima, although the Vatican has not verified any of the alleged miracles that witnesses claimed to have seen there.
“This morning, I spoke about the details of the tragedy with the Prime Minister of Croatia, Ledi Plenkovi, who assured the full support of Croatian medical services,” Moraviki said on Facebook.
“I recommended our consular services to organize a support organization for the families of those who took part in the accident.”
Croatian Interior Minister dvar boznik said the bus had left “a place near Warsaw” and that “according to some information,” it was carrying pilgrims to Medjugorje.
The accident occurred at 5:40 a.m. local time (3:40 a.m. GMT) on the A-4 highway, about 50 kilometers (30 mi) north of Zagreb, which is busy during the peak of the tourist season.
A rescue team was sent to the accident site. The investigation into the accident was ongoing, Croatian media reported.