In brief
A 24‑tonne tourist bus carrying pilgrims from Poland plunged off Hungary’s M3 motorway at 01:00 local time, killing twelve and leaving dozens injured. The driver, suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, was taken into custody. Rescue teams lifted the rear axle before cranes removed the vehicle. Hungarian and Polish officials exchanged condolences, with Poland dispatching a special aircraft to aid the victims.
By Aleks Phillips | 16 August 2026, 08:04 BST (Updated 9 hours ago)
12 people were killed and dozens more injured when a Polish tourist bus carrying pilgrims fell off the M3 motorway in Hungary, officials said. The accident occurred around 01:00 local time, leaving the 24‑tonne vehicle overturned in a ditch beside the road.
Police believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel and have taken him into custody. Of the 57 passengers and two drivers on board, 35 were rescued by firefighters so far, with emergency services lifting the rear axle and using a crane to free trapped occupants.
Hungarian ambulance crews treated one person with life‑threatening injuries, nine with serious injuries and 37 with minor injuries. Officials urged those injured to recover quickly and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
Prime Minister Péter Magyar and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk exchanged condolences. Tusk announced the dispatch of a special aircraft with ministry officials and medical staff to assist the victims.
The bus, returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina, was carrying pilgrims from Poland’s southern Podkarpacie region. Polish Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski said his Hungarian counterpart had confirmed police were questioning the driver.
Aerial shot of the bus on the motorway on its side, with cranes beside it.
