Deadly Motorway Pile-up in Bulgaria Leaves 11 Dead, 50 Injured
A devastating motorway pile-up in south-eastern Bulgaria has resulted in the deaths of at least 11 people and injured 50 others. The incident occurred on Tuesday on the Trakia motorway, where over 50 vehicles, including cars and trucks, were involved in the massive collision.
The accident happened amid dense fog, which reduced visibility and contributed to the severity of the crash. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and ambulances, rushed to the scene to rescue those trapped in the wreckage and transport the injured to hospital.
Drone footage and photographs show the scale of the tragedy, with cars and lorries piled on top of each other, severely damaged vehicles, and others overturned or veering off the road. The highway was littered with debris, and several vehicles caught fire.
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the accident as a "tragedy" and ordered the injured to be evacuated by aircraft. He also announced that €10 million in EU funds would be made available for search and rescue operations.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was visiting the country, cut short her visit to express her condolences and respect for the rescue teams. Chief Inspector Todor Mishinev of the Interior Ministry's Yambol Regional Directorate stated that rescue operations were ongoing, with a focus on freeing those trapped in the wreckage and investigating the circumstances of the accident.
The incident has been described as one of Bulgaria's deadliest road disasters, with a total of 50 injured people taken to hospitals across the wider region.
