The UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its sincere condolences and solidarity with Poland following the deadly bus accident, according to a statement carried by the Emirates News Agency. The ministry conveyed its sympathy to the families of the victims as well as to the Polish government and people. Officials in Abu Dhabi offered thoughts and prayers to those affected by the tragedy that struck the group of pilgrims.
A Reuters dispatch from Budapest placed the crash on the M3 motorway in eastern Hungary, where the bus veered off the road and overturned. The vehicle carried 57 passengers and two drivers returning from a Catholic shrine in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the news service detailed. Hungarian authorities indicated preliminary findings suggested the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel.
The Guardian reported that 12 people died in the incident while at least 10 others sustained serious injuries. The passengers originated from Poland’s south-eastern Podkarpackie region and had been on a pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary shrine, according to the newspaper. One survivor described the overturn as unimaginable in comments relayed by multiple outlets covering the scene.
Footage from the site showed the red bus lying on its side in a ditch with shattered windows and scattered belongings, Reuters noted in its coverage. Emergency services worked to remove the wreckage following the accident that occurred as the group headed back toward Poland. The incident has drawn international attention given the scale of casualties among the Polish travelers.
The UAE has issued similar statements of condolence in response to transportation accidents in other nations in recent years, a pattern documented across official releases from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Such expressions form part of the country’s diplomatic engagement with partners in Europe and beyond. Poland maintains established bilateral relations with the UAE in areas including trade and cultural exchange, though specific reactions to the latest statement were not detailed in initial reporting.
