Disasters & Incidents
Polish bus crash in Hungary kills 12, driver detained
A Polish bus crashed into a ditch on Hungary's M3 highway early Sunday, killing 12 people, leaving at least 10 critically injured and leading to the driver's detention, officials said.
Police said the coach was travelling from Serbia to Poland when it crashed at 1:00 am local time, 2300 GMT Saturday, near Mezokeresztes, about 140 kilometres east of Budapest.
Hungary's national disaster management agency said the bus, carrying 57 passengers and two drivers, left the road, ended up in a ditch and came to rest on its side. The agency said 11 people were declared dead at the scene and another person died in hospital.
The ambulance service said 37 people suffered minor injuries and were taken to hospitals in four cities. Polish diplomat Andrzej Osiak told a press conference that five of the injured were fighting for their lives. He said the coach was taking pilgrims back to Poland.
Hungary's Interior Minister Gabor Posfai said the driver had been detained. Media quoted police as saying he had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Firefighters and other rescuers had to pull some people out through the windows because they were trapped under the crushed roof of the bus. The disaster management agency said two cranes later lifted the bus out of the ditch. The highway was closed for several hours.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had ordered a special flight to Budapest with medical and consular aid for those affected. Katarzyna Anna Kacperczyk, an undersecretary of state at Poland's health ministry, said before the plane's departure that an anaesthesiologist, a surgeon, an orthopedist and three paramedics would be among those on board.
Poland's Defence Minister Wladyslaw Kosiniak-Kamysz said an air transport base had been instructed to prepare a CASA aircraft and a military medical evacuation team if needed.
Polish Justice Minister Waldemar Zurek said prosecutors were taking immediate steps to clarify the causes and circumstances of the crash. Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called it a "tragic bus accident involving Polish tourists" and said Polish consular services were in contact with Hungarian authorities.
Hungary's Prime Minister Peter Magyar offered condolences as he gave the death toll on social media.
It was Hungary's worst road accident since 2003, when a train hit a German tourist bus at Siofok, killing 33 people. In 2002, a bus carrying Polish pilgrims crashed near Balatonszentgyorgy, killing 19 people.
Update
Katarzyna Anna Kacperczyk said an anaesthesiologist, a surgeon, an orthopedist and three paramedics would be among those on a Polish flight to Budapest.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 18:07:50 UTC.
Update
Poland's defence minister said an air transport base was told to prepare a CASA aircraft and a military medical evacuation team if needed.
Poland's justice minister said prosecutors were taking immediate steps to clarify the causes and circumstances of the crash.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 14:33:22 UTC.
Update
Hungary's interior minister said the driver had been detained.
Media quoted police as saying the driver had fallen asleep at the wheel.
Polish diplomat Andrzej Osiak said five injured people were fighting for their lives.
Osiak said the coach was taking pilgrims back to Poland.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he had ordered a special flight to collect passengers able to travel.
The ambulance service said injured people were taken to hospitals in four cities.
The highway was closed for several hours.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 10:32:30 UTC.
Update
Poland's Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski called it a tragic bus accident involving Polish tourists and said consular services were in contact with Hungarian authorities.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed that 12 people had died.
Hungary's national disaster management agency said two cranes eventually lifted the bus out of the ditch.
The item adds context about a 2002 crash involving Polish pilgrims near Balatonszentgyorgy that killed 19 people.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 07:48:05 UTC.
Update
The bus was travelling from Serbia to Poland.
The bus carried 57 passengers and two drivers.
Eleven people were declared dead at the scene and another person died in hospital, the national disaster management agency said.
The ambulance service said 37 people suffered minor injuries.
The national disaster management agency said the bus left the road, ended up in a ditch and stopped on its side.
Rescuers had to pull some trapped people out through the windows.
The crash was described as Hungary's worst road accident since a 2003 train collision with a German tourist bus at Siofok killed 33 people.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 07:28:12 UTC.
Update
The bus was Polish-registered.
At least 10 people had serious injuries, according to Prime Minister Peter Magyar and police.
Police said the coach crashed at 1:00 am local time on the M3 highway near Mezokeresztes, east of Budapest.
Source note: AFP news report published on 16 August 2026 at 06:56:46 UTC.
Uncertainty notes
The cause of the crash has not been established; the claim that the driver fell asleep was reported by media quoting police.
Source
AFP news report published on .