Nineteen Polish pilgrims died and 32 were injured today when the bus taking them to a Bosnian shrine crashed into a ditch in Hungary.
A five-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy were among those killed in the crash near Lake Balaton, about 100 miles southwest of Budapest. Nine men and eight women also died, said police spokesman Mr Ferenc Vass.
Hungary's police chief Mr Laszlo Salgo said the bus was driving at about 50 mph when it hit the stone edge of a roundabout and flipped into a ditch.
He said it was unlikely the driver had fallen asleep, but that police were investigating.
Ambulance staff said 17 of the 32 people injured were in a serious condition, with one in a critical condition.
The pilgrims were en route to the southwestern Bosnian sanctuary of Medjugorje, where many Catholics believe the Virgin Mary appeared 21 years ago. They were led by a priest, Father Stefan Banaszczuk, who was seriously injured in the accident.
AP