At least 11 people have been killed and dozens injured following two massive chain-reaction crashes involving more than 50 cars, vans and trucks on Bulgaria’s Trakia motorway earlier today.
The accidents took place on Tuesday morning near the city of Yambol, in south-eastern Bulgaria, bringing traffic on one of the country’s major transport routes to a standstill.
The first collision was reported shortly after 7am, near the 289th kilometre of the motorway, on the carriageway heading towards Burgas. A second major pile-up occurred shortly afterwards on the opposite carriageway, heading towards the capital Sofia.
At least 11 people have been killed and dozens injured following two massive chain-reaction crashes involving more than 50 cars, vans and trucks on Bulgaria’s Trakia motorway earlier today.
The accident happened earlier today near the city of Yambol, in south-eastern Bulgaria, bringing traffic on one of the country’s major transport routes to a standstill.
The first collision was reported shortly after 7am, near the 289th kilometre of the motorway, on the carriageway heading towards Burgas. A second major pile-up occurred shortly afterwards on the opposite carriageway, heading towards the capital Sofia.
According to the Bulgarian press, more than 50 vehicles were involved in the two incidents, with cars and heavy goods vehicles crashing into one another in extremely difficult driving conditions.
Thick fog had covered the area, significantly reducing visibility for motorists. Wet road conditions and drivers travelling too fast for the weather conditions are also being considered as possible contributing factors.
Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters and ambulance crews, were dispatched in large numbers to rescue people trapped inside the wreckage.
The scale of the accident made rescue operations particularly difficult, with emergency workers having to reach victims trapped between heavily damaged vehicles.
Bulgarian authorities confirmed that at least 11 people had died, while around 50 others were injured, according to initial reports from the Interior Ministry and government officials.
Several of the injured were transported to hospitals in the surrounding region, including Yambol and Sliven. Medical teams were placed on emergency alert to deal with the large number of casualties, while additional emergency resources were mobilised.
The Bulgarian government also deployed aircraft to assist with the evacuation of seriously injured victims to hospitals.
The BG-ALERT emergency warning system was activated in the regions of Yambol, Sliven and Burgas, informing motorists about the serious situation and advising them to avoid the affected stretch of motorway.
The Trakia motorway was closed in both directions following the crashes, with authorities warning that the closure could remain in place for much of the day.
Traffic was diverted through alternative routes, including the road connecting Karnobat, Petolachkata and Sliven, as emergency services continued working at the scene.
The motorway is one of Bulgaria’s most important transport corridors, connecting the capital Sofia with the Black Sea city of Burgas. It is particularly important for commercial transport, carrying significant numbers of trucks and freight vehicles travelling across the country and towards the Black Sea coast.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the incident as a tragedy and said emergency services and government departments were mobilised to assist those affected.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was visiting Bulgaria, also expressed her condolences to the families of those who lost their lives and praised the emergency teams responding to the disaster.
Authorities are expected to launch a full investigation into the circumstances surrounding the two crashes once rescue operations have been completed.
Newsroom
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