Polish Pilgrims’ Coach Overturns in Hungary, Killing 12
A coach returning Polish pilgrims from Bosnia overturned in northern Hungary on August 16, killing 12 people and injuring 47, including 10 seriously.
In short
- A coach returning Polish pilgrims from Bosnia overturned in northern Hungary on August 16, killing 12 people and injuring 47, including 10 seriously.
Twelve people were killed and 47 others were injured after a coach carrying Polish pilgrims left the M3 motorway and overturned near Mezőkeresztes in northern Hungary early on Sunday, August 16, 2026.
The vehicle was carrying 57 passengers and two drivers back to Poland’s Podkarpackie region after a pilgrimage to Međugorje in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Polish officials said 10 of the injured were in serious condition, while Hungary’s ambulance service reported 37 people with minor injuries.
Hungarian police said the coach entered a ditch after leaving a straight section of road at about 1 a.m. local time. The surviving driver was taken into custody as investigators examine the cause. Polish prosecutors in Krosno are also due to lead an investigation, and Poland’s road transport authority plans additional checks on the operator’s buses and driver working hours.
Officials in both countries expressed condolences to the victims’ families. The crash follows other deadly accidents involving Polish pilgrims travelling in the region, including a 2022 crash in Croatia that killed 12 people.
