Twelve Killed in Polish Tourist Bus Crash on Hungarian Motorway

Sun Sep 06 2026 04:17:56 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

A Polish tourist bus plunged into a ditch on Hungary’s M3 motorway at 1 am, killing 12 passengers and leaving dozens injured.

A Polish tourist bus went off the Hungarian M3 motorway late on Sunday, killing 12 out of 57 passengers and leaving many injured. Police allege the driver fell asleep at the wheel and has been detained. Firefighters rescued 37 people and used cranes to lift the 24‑tonne bus. Eight people suffered serious injuries, and the Hungarian Prime Minister offered condolences.

Twelve Killed in Polish Tourist Bus Crash on Hungarian Motorway

On Sunday around 01:00 local time, a Polish tourist bus left the M3 motorway near Budapest and overturned into a ditch, killing 12 of its 57 occupants and leaving dozens injured.

A crane winches an overturned bus up on the side of the road as firefighters look on

Police report that the driver may have fallen asleep at the wheel and has since been taken into custody. Firefighters rescued 35 passengers and two drivers from the wrecked vehicle. They employed cranes to lift the 24‑tonne bus, as the rear axle was too heavy for manual removal.

Hungarian ambulance services treated one person with life‑threatening injuries, nine individuals with serious wounds, and 37 patients with minor injuries. The Prime Minister, Péter Magyar, issued a statement offering sincere condolences to the families of the victims and wishing those injured a speedy recovery.