Twelve people died and dozens were injured after a Polish tourist coach veered off Hungary's M3 motorway and overturned into a roadside ditch in the early hours of Sunday, 16 August 2026. The vehicle had been travelling toward Nyíregyháza carrying 57 passengers and two drivers when it left the road near the town of Mezőkeresztes in eastern Hungary, according to a national broadcaster's report.
Police said the coach came off the motorway, which links the capital Budapest with the north-eastern city of Nyíregyháza, at around 01:00 local time (23:00 GMT on Saturday). Investigators believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel, and he has since been taken into custody.
What is the official casualty toll?
Casualty figures have varied slightly between sources. Hungarian state media reported that 35 of the 57 passengers and two drivers had been rescued by firefighters, with the ambulance service treating one person with life-threatening injuries, nine with serious injuries and 37 with minor injuries. However, Polish Prime Minister Péter Magyar said in a Facebook post cited by RTÉ that 12 people were killed and at least 10 injured, a notably lower injury count than the broader figures given by emergency responders. A separate wire report referenced by outlets including one covering unrelated Middle East coverage also put the injury figure at a minimum of 10.
How did emergency crews respond?
Firefighters worked to free people trapped beneath the 24-tonne vehicle, first attempting to lift its rear axle before cranes were brought in to raise the entire bus off the ground, according to Hungary's state news agency MTI. The stretch of the M3 between Mezőkeresztes and Emőd was closed to traffic while rescue and investigation work continued, according to TRT World. Local reporting placed the crash site near the 139th kilometre marker of the motorway, between Mezőkeresztes and Mezőnagymihály, according to a local news outlet.
What has been said about the crash?
Hungary's Prime Minister Péter Magyar extended condolences to the families of those killed and wished the injured a swift recovery.
"Sincere condolences" to the families of the victims, with wishes for a speedy recovery to those injured.
Have similar crashes happened before?
Hungary's motorway network has seen fatal coach accidents in the past. A crash on the M7 motorway in 2021 killed eight people, according to reporting by a national newspaper, illustrating that such incidents, while rare, are not unprecedented on the country's high-speed roads.
What happens next?
Hungarian investigators are expected to continue examining why the bus left the motorway, with the affected section of road remaining closed during the inquiry, according to TRT World. Authorities are also working to confirm a final death toll and identify all victims as emergency response efforts wind down, according to RTÉ.
Key Facts
- Twelve people died when a Polish tourist bus overturned off Hungary's M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes on 16 August 2026.
- The coach was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers en route to Nyíregyháza.
- Casualty counts vary by source: Hungarian state media cited 47 injured with one critical, while Polish officials reported at least 10 injured.
- Police believe the driver fell asleep at the wheel; he has been taken into custody.
- The M3 between Mezőkeresztes and Emőd remained closed as investigators worked at the scene.
