Thirteen injured in Croatia bus crash to return to Poland on Wednesday

Twelve pilgrims died and thirty-two were injured after a bus they had been travelling in skidded off a highway in northern Croatia. The group of 44, including two drivers, had been going to visit a shrine in Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Spokesperson of Polish Health Ministry Wojciech Andrusiewicz on Tuesday shared his knowledge of the latest developments regarding the transport of the injured with TVN24 reported Katarzyna Gozdawa-Litwińska.

He assured that "definitely thirteen people will return to Poland". "It wasn't certain if a fourteenth person would also be able to fly back to Poland or not. But as of now Croatian doctors say that thirteen people are certain, and the fourteenth will most likely not travel today," he said.

Andrusiewicz added that all thirteen patients designated to return home were in stable condition, regardless of the severity of their injuries. "They are in stable condition which means they don't require intensive care and can travel by plane, and they don't need to be hooked to ventilators," he explained. "As of today, thirteen patients should return to Poland tomorrow".

"Most of these people require assistance, orthopaedic care, they sustained series of fractures, often including spine injuries," the spokesman added.

"Unfortunately, two patients are still in critical condition and we stress taht the coming days will be crucial for their health and life. As soon as there's a chance to transfer more people, we will certainly organise another transport," Andrusiewicz said.

The 72-year-old driver who was behind the wheel when the accident took place was not under the influence of alcohol or substances - Croatian television HRT said, quoting an unofficial source close to Varazdin prosecutor's office.

Polish Foreign Ministry spokesperson Łukasz Jasina confirmed that the process of bodies identification had been completed on Monday.