August 8, 2022 - Two Polish bus crash passengers have been speaking to the media about the recent terrible tragedy in northern Croatia, reports Index.hr.
The Polish people killed in the departure of the pilgrim bus on the Varaždin - Zagreb highway, who are in Croatian hospitals, are mostly stable. Those in better health have been discharged and transported to Poland. The Polish portal Fakt spoke with two women who are in a Zagreb hospital and who survived the terrible accident.
Beata Krychowiak says that the bus was driven by experienced drivers and that there were no indications that such a tragedy could happen. "It shocked me that it happened. I don't remember the moment of the accident because I was asleep. It was seconds. I didn't pass out, but I was stuck.
"It was terrible. Moans, groans, people had to be aware that they were dying"
I saw people who could not move. I waited for them to cut open the bus and take me out. I didn't know what was happening around me because I was stuck between the chairs. It seemed to me as if I had been waiting for hours, and I waited for help for about 13 minutes," the Polish woman told Fakt.
"It was terrible. Moans, groans, people must have been aware that they were dying. Some were crushed. It's terrible to see people without skin on their faces. Shock. It's impossible to describe." Beata was going to Medjugorje with her mother. She says he knows she survived the accident, but nothing more.
"As soon as I recover, I will go to Medjugorje again"
Zofia Kasprzyk says that she will return to Medjugorje one day, regardless of the terrible accident she survived. "I thank God and Our Lady. As soon as I recover, I will go to Medjugorje again. I am brave and religious. I pray every day," recounts the survivor.
Many people are wondering why the identification of accident victims is taking so long. Portal Fakt has transmitted a press release from the Polish embassy in which they explain why the whole process is taking so long.
Why is the identification of victims taking so long?
"We have a preliminary list of the victims who died in the crash of the Polish bus on the Croatian highway on Saturday. We are doing everything to complete the identification process as soon as possible," the Polish embassy in Zagreb told the Polish portal Fakt on Sunday evening. Although the accident happened on Saturday morning, the families of the victims are still waiting for official confirmation of the fate of their family members.
"None of the passengers (like none of us in general) wears a chain around their neck with a tag with our personal information on it. No one travels with documents in their pockets, either. They are usually in their luggage (bags, backpacks, etc.) and they are close to the owner. The problem is that the force at the moment the bus landed was so strong that it moved the luggage from the owner up to several meters away."
"All persons have been fingerprinted"
"The ambulance came to save people, not their luggage with documents. If someone is conscious, then they can identify themselves. But this is not the case with those who are not conscious and those who died. All victims should be compared with the documents found, which it's not always easy because of the nature of the injuries they received in the accident, but also because the documents last up to ten years, so the photos on them are no longer that fresh. All people have had their fingerprints taken," the Polish embassy said.
The Polish embassy notes that they must not rush out with information because they can make mistakes. "Assumptions are not enough when talking about someone's life or death. It is the same with people who are not conscious. We must not make a mistake."
