Twelve Polish tourists died and at least ten others suffered serious injuries on August 16, 2026, when their tourist coach crashed into a roadside ditch and overturned on the M3 motorway in eastern Hungary. The passengers were returning from a pilgrimage to Medjugorie.
The catastrophic crash unfolded at approximately 1:00 AM on the M3 motorway near Mezőkeresztes, on a straight stretch of the highway heading toward Nyíregyháza. The vehicle, carrying 57 passengers and two drivers, veered off the road and rolled over into a ditch, trapping several travelers beneath its 24-ton heavy chassis. Emergency response teams from surrounding Hungarian towns rushed to the scene, deploying cranes and winches to lift the crushed wreckage and extract survivors.
Rescue personnel managed to evacuate 35 individuals from the bus. The Podkarpackie Voivodeship Office in Rzeszów confirmed that the occupants were participants in a religious pilgrimage from Podkarpacie returning from Bosnia and Herzegovina. The group had spent time visiting sites in Bosnia and Herzegovina before beginning their journey back to Poland.
Investigation and Detention of the Driver Following the M3 Motorway Crash
Hungarian authorities have opened an official investigation into the fatal accident. Police in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County stated that preliminary findings indicate the driver likely fell asleep behind the wheel during the overnight transit.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Krosno launched parallel Polish proceedings, coordinating closely with Hungarian investigators to transfer aspects of the case and begin formal questioning of surviving passengers.
International Condolences and Emergency Repatriation Flights
The disaster drew immediate responses from top government officials across both nations. Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar addressed the tragedy publicly, expressing profound sorrow over the loss of life.
Peter Magyar, Prime Minister of Hungary, stated that twelve people had died and at least ten were seriously injured overnight when a Polish bus crashed into a ditch on the M3 motorway, and he offered his deepest condolences to the families of the victims.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the dispatch of a special Polish government aircraft carrying medical personnel and Ministry of Foreign Affairs representatives to assist victims on the ground. President Karol Nawrocki, Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski, and other cabinet members issued statements extending sympathies to the grieving families of the Subcarpathian region. The Embassy of Poland in Budapest also established a dedicated emergency hotline (+3 620 472 9502) to support families seeking information.
In the days following the catastrophe, medical evacuations brought survivors back to Poland in stages. By late week, most hospitalized passengers had returned home, though several individuals remained in Hungarian hospitals receiving specialized care for severe injuries.
Transport Inspections
Krosno prosecutors coordinated with the Voivodeship Police Command in Rzeszów to brief victim families regarding the planned repatriation of the deceased. Before remains can be returned for final burial, mandatory forensic autopsies are being conducted to determine precise causes of death and physical trauma, establishing a complete evidentiary record of the crash.
