At least 10 killed as more than 50 vehicles collide in dense fog in Bulgaria
Several serious pile-ups involving more than 50 cars and trucks occurred on Bulgaria’s Trakia motorway this morning. According to the latest information, at least 10 people have died and dozens have been injured.
The crashes happened at around 7am near the city of Yambol, between the Zimnitsa and Kabile interchanges. Exceptionally dense fog covered the area, reducing visibility to a few dozen metres. The wet road surface and speeds inappropriate for the conditions may have made the collisions even more severe.
The first pile-up involved vehicles travelling towards Burgas, but crashes soon followed on the opposite carriageway. Several cars and trucks were thrown off the road or completely destroyed in the collisions. One truck caught fire, and some of those injured were trapped in their vehicles.
According to Bulgarian news agency BTA, 27 injured people were taken to hospitals in the region. Several are in a serious condition. Police, firefighters and ambulance crews took part in the rescue operation. The dense fog also hampered the use of a rescue helicopter.
The Trakia motorway was closed in both directions around the crash site, and traffic was diverted onto alternative routes. Authorities also activated the national BG-Alert system to warn residents.
The exact circumstances of the crashes are under investigation.
