Twelve dead, fifty injured in Bulgarian motorway pile-up
Reuters • • world
Key Points:
- Twelve people died in a massive pile-up involving around 50 vehicles on the A1 motorway near Yambol, Bulgaria, caused by thick fog and an initial collision between a bus and a truck.
- Emergency services responded swiftly, with 50 injured individuals taken to hospitals, and some victims were trapped in their vehicles during the incident.
- Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared a national day of mourning and deployed aircraft to evacuate the wounded, emphasizing the tragedy's severity.
- European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, visiting Bulgaria at the time, cut her visit short to express condolences and respect for the rescue teams.
- The accident occurred about 75 kilometers west of Burgas on the highway linking Sofia and Burgas, with many vehicles crushed, overturned, or veered off the road.
