12 Polish pilgrims killed as bus overturns on Hungary's M3 motorway, driver detained

The crash

Around 1:00 AM on Sunday, 16 August 2026, a Polish coach carrying 59 Polish citizens crashed on the M3 motorway in eastern Hungary, near the town of Mezokeresztes, between Budapest and Miskolc. The vehicle was travelling toward Nyiregyhaza when it veered into a roadside ditch and overturned. According to a statement from Hungarian police, preliminary information indicates the driver fell asleep at the wheel. The driver has been detained. The passengers were pilgrims from the Podkarpackie region of southeastern Poland, returning from a pilgrimage to Bosnia and Herzegovina organised by a travel agency based in Iwonicz-Zdrój. MFA spokesperson Maciej Wewiór confirmed on TVN24 that all 59 people on board were Polish citizens, and that about 200 kilometres remained to their destination.

They were pilgrims returning home. About 200 kilometres remained to the end of the route. Today around noon, or even early morning, they would have been home.

Casualties

Twelve people were killed in the crash. Seven others were reported in very serious condition and taken to hospitals in Eger and Miskolc, while the remaining 40 sustained minor injuries, according to the Podkarpacki Urząd Wojewódzki and the Hungarian National Directorate General for Disaster Management. Later reports described 10 people in serious condition. Governor Teresa Kubas-Hul warned that the death toll was not final, noting that some hospitalised passengers remained in critical condition.

This is sad and painful news, that so many people died in the accident. This number is not final, because we know there are people in hospitals in serious, critical condition.

Government and diplomatic response

Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced he had decided to send a special Polish plane to Hungary carrying MFA representatives and medical services, to ensure all victims receive necessary medical and consular assistance. The District Prosecutor's Office in Krosno opened an investigation and announced plans to conduct on-site proceedings with a Polish prosecutor, in cooperation with Hungarian authorities. Governor Kubas-Hul convened a crisis management team at 10:00 AM, including police, fire services, and crisis management representatives. She stated that psychological support was being prepared for families and that authorities were in contact with the Ministry of Health and the National Health Fund regarding possible transport of the injured. The governor also noted that attempts to contact the travel agency had been unsuccessful, as nobody was answering the phones.

Identification and international contacts

The process of identifying the 12 victims' bodies was underway, with a Polish consul present at the scene. According to preliminary findings, all passengers on the manifest were from Podkarpackie. The pilgrimage had departed from Strzyżów, but participants came from across the region, including Rzeszów and the counties of Strzyżów, Rzeszów, Leżajsk, and Jasło. The Polish embassy in Budapest activated a hotline (+36 20 472 9502) for relatives of the victims, though Sikorski noted it could be overloaded at times. Deputy PM and Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski confirmed the accident on social media, stating that consular services were operational and in contact with Hungarian authorities. Hungarian PM Peter Magyar was the first to report the accident on social media. Hungarian Foreign Minister Anita Orban expressed condolences and pledged Hungary's full support.

Our thoughts are with the victims, their families and the injured. Hungary stands in solidarity with our Polish friends and provides all possible help and support.