A Polish bus crashed in Slovakia on Tuesday, killing the driver and injuring multiple passengers of various nationalities.
Fire Following Polish Bus Accident
The incident occurred early Tuesday morning, February 17, in the village of Liptovská Osada. According to TV Noviny reports, the bus was traveling from Krakow to Budapest, Hungary, though Slovakian police indicated it may have been heading toward Banska Bystrica. The driver, for unknown reasons, entered the opposite lane and collided with a truck carrying wood, resulting in a fire. Four ambulances and firefighters were dispatched to the scene. Twenty-six passengers of various nationalities managed to escape the burning vehicle. The truck driver was found to be sober.
Fatalities and Injuries
The bus driver did not survive the accident. Medical aid was provided to approximately thirty passengers, mostly of Polish nationality. Two individuals were hospitalized: a man with multi-organ injuries was taken to Ružomberok Hospital, and a 47-year-old woman with head and thigh injuries was transported to Banska Bystrica Hospital. A 37-year-old patient with head and upper limb injuries refused hospital transport and was taken with other passengers to a police station by an evacuation bus, according to Petra Klimešová of the Slovak Republic’s Operational Center of Rescue Service.
Traffic Disruptions
Fire department buses transported the surviving passengers to the municipal office in Liptovské Revúce. Due to the accident, the road through Donovaly Pass became impassable but reopened shortly after. The case is being investigated by detectives from the District Directorate PZ in Ružomberok. “Further circumstances and causes of the tragic road accident are the subject of the ongoing investigation,” police stated. An autopsy of the bus driver’s body will also be conducted.
Polish Consular Assistance
According to PAP reports, Polish Foreign Ministry spokesman Maciej Wewiór assured that “the Polish consulate in Slovakia remains in constant contact with Slovakian authorities.” “Our consular services are ready to provide all possible assistance to affected Polish citizens and their families within their competence,” Wewiór said, as quoted by PAP.
