Tragedy Strikes: Polish Tourist Bus Crash in Hungary Claims at Least 12 Lives
A Polish tourist bus carrying pilgrims from Serbia tragically crashed into a ditch on a Hungarian highway in the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 2026, killing 12 people and injuring 10 critically. The driver has been detained, with police suggesting he fell asleep at the wheel. Both Polish and Hungarian leaders have offered condolences and aid in the wake of the devastating incident.
A tragic incident unfolded on a Hungarian highway in the early hours of Sunday, August 16, 2026, when a Polish tourist bus veered off the road and crashed into a ditch. The devastating accident resulted in the deaths of 12 individuals and left 10 others seriously injured, with five reported to be in critical condition.
The bus was reportedly transporting 57 passengers and two drivers, pilgrims returning to Poland from Serbia, when the crash occurred at approximately 1 am on the M3 highway near Mezokeresztes, situated about 140 kilometers from Budapest. Hungary's national disaster agency confirmed that 11 people were pronounced dead at the scene, while an additional person succumbed to their injuries in the hospital.
The ambulance service further reported that 37 people sustained minor injuries and were subsequently transported to hospitals across four different cities for medical attention. Following the severe accident, the M3 highway was closed for several hours as emergency services attended to the scene and managed the aftermath.
Investigations into the cause of the crash are underway, with Hungary's Interior Minister Gabor Posfai confirming that the driver of the bus has been detained. Media outlets, citing police sources, reported that the driver had allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel, leading to the bus veering off the road and overturning in the ditch.
In response to the tragedy, Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced that a special flight, carrying medical and consular aid, had been dispatched from Poland. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar extended his condolences to the families of the victims via social media and wished a swift recovery to the injured, also expressing gratitude to all personnel involved in the rescue operation.
This accident marks the most severe road incident in Hungary since 2003, when a train collided with a German tourist bus in Siofok, claiming 33 lives. Furthermore, it evokes memories of another fatal bus crash involving Polish pilgrims near the western town of Balatonszentgyorgy in 2002, which resulted in 19 fatalities.