At least 11 people were killed and nearly 50 others injured after more than 70 vehicles collided on both sides of a major highway in eastern Bulgaria on Tuesday.
Triggered by dense fog that reduced visibility to less than 30 meters near the city of Yambol, the catastrophic pile-up sparked intense vehicle fires and widespread chaos.
The disaster involved two separate multi-vehicle collisions a few kilometres apart near the Zimnitsa junction, affecting both the Burgas- and Sofia-bound carriageways.
Emergency responders, including police, firefighters, and rescue aircraft deployed by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, rushed to the scene. Several vehicles were crushed, overturned, or burned to shells, with rescue crews working urgently to free trapped passengers.
Prime Minister Radev, speaking alongside visiting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, expressed deep sorrow over the “tragedy” and cancelled his official engagements in Varna. Von der Leyen also cut her tour short to offer condolences and commend the relentless efforts of rescue teams.
Authorities have closed the highway in both directions as a crisis task force investigates the disaster, attributing the primary causes to near-zero visibility from dense fog, wet road surfaces, and excessive speeds.
