Mezőkeresztes, Hungary, August 16, 2026 — Twelve people were killed and at least 10 others seriously injured after a Polish-registered tourist bus left the M3 motorway and overturned in a ditch near Mezőkeresztes in eastern Hungary early Sunday.
The crash occurred at around 1 am on the eastbound side of the M3 motorway, about 140 kilometres east of Budapest, according to Hungarian authorities. The bus was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers, all travelling from Poland. The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage to the Catholic shrine at Medjugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Police said preliminary evidence indicated that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel, causing the bus to leave the road. The driver survived the crash and was taken into custody while authorities investigate the circumstances of the accident.
Emergency crews responded to the scene and rescued passengers from the overturned vehicle. Some people were trapped beneath the bus, requiring heavy rescue equipment to remove the vehicle and reach those inside. A total of 47 people were taken to hospitals in the surrounding region, with at least 10 reported to be seriously injured.
The bus was travelling with Polish registration plates and was carrying tourists from Poland's Podkarpackie, or Subcarpathian, region. Polish authorities were informed of the crash and remained in contact with their Hungarian counterparts.
