A tragic bus accident on Hungary's M3 motorway near the town of Mezokeresztes has claimed the lives of 12 people and left 10 others with serious injuries, according to police reports. The incident occurred on Sunday, August 16, 2026, approximately 140 kilometers (87 miles) east of Budapest, the nation's capital.
The vehicle, which was transporting Polish tourists from Serbia back to Poland, was carrying a total of 57 passengers and two drivers. Police reported that the bus veered off a straight section of the highway, crashed into a ditch, and overturned while traveling toward Nyiregyhaza.
According to the national disaster management agency, 11 victims were pronounced dead at the crash site, while a twelfth person passed away after being transported to a hospital. The national ambulance service reported that an additional 37 passengers sustained minor injuries. Emergency responders, including firefighters, had to extract several trapped passengers through the bus's windows.
In a statement published on their website, police indicated that "preliminary information suggests the driver likely fell asleep." Authorities have since taken the driver of the bus into custody.
Officials from both Hungary and Poland expressed their grief following the disaster. Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar extended his condolences to the victims' families and expressed gratitude to the emergency personnel who responded to the scene.
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski shared an update on X, stating:
"The consular service is operational. We are in contact with the Hungarian authorities. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will provide verified information."
Meanwhile, Polish President Karol Nawrocki expressed his condolences, saying:
"It is with deep sorrow that I received the tragic news of the Polish bus accident in Hungary, in which so many of our
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