Twelve People Killed When Polish Tourist Bus Veers Off Hungarian Motorway



The tourist bus came off the road in the early hours of Sunday morning
The tourist bus came off the road in the early hours of Sunday morning


In the early hours of Sunday, a Polish tourist bus lost control on Hungary’s M3 motorway, which connects Budapest with Nyíregyháza, and overturned into a ditch, killing twelve passengers and leaving many injured.


Police say the bus went off the motorway around 01:00 local time. Investigations have pointed to the driver falling asleep at the wheel; he was subsequently taken into custody.


Thirty‑five of the 57 passengers and two drivers were rescued by firefighters, according to state media. Emergency services attempted to remove people trapped under the rear axle before cranes lifted the entire vehicle.


Hungary’s ambulance service reported one person with life‑threatening injuries, nine with serious injuries and 37 with minor injuries.


Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar offered sincere condolences to the families and wished the injured a speedy recovery.



A crumpled red bus sits at the bottom of a ravine as firefighters attend
The bus came off the motorway and overturned into a ditch running beside the road



Aerial shot of the bus on the motorway on its side, with cranes beside it
An aerial view of the overturned bus with cranes present at the scene