Serbian-registered bus overturns near Zagreb; two dead, several seriously injured

Two people were killed and several others seriously injured this morning when a bus with Serbian license plates overturned on the A3 motorway near Zagreb at about 07:25, authorities reported.

Crash on A3, immediate medical response

The accident occurred just after the Ivanić-Grad interchange, heading toward Zagreb, at the 61st kilometre of the motorway. There were 33 passengers and two drivers on board. Emergency services arrived at the scene quickly and a medical helicopter (HEMS) was used to speed transport of the most seriously injured.

Health Minister Irena Hrstić, who went to the site together with Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Tomo Medved, said: "Two seriously injured patients were transferred to the Clinical Hospital Centre 'Sisters of Mercy' (KBC Sestre milosrdnice), one patient to the traumatology department at the Draškovićeva location, and two seriously injured patients to the Clinical Hospital Centre Zagreb. All the remaining 27 people, by ambulance vehicles and accompanied by police, were taken to several hospitals in Zagreb. All seriously injured were admitted to hospitals for further treatment within one hour," adding that nine emergency medical teams were dispatched to the scene, including the helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS).

Medved said medical teams, the police and 15 firefighters intervened appropriately, assisted the injured and prevented the outbreak of a possible fire. He added that the nationalities of the passengers were still being determined and that authorities would coordinate with embassies once identities were clarified, offering condolences to the families of the deceased.

The police are conducting an on-site investigation to establish the cause of the crash. Traffic on that section of the A3 is moving slowly in the left lane.

Photo: press material from the event