Heavy fog brought great tragedy: 12 people died

A major road traffic accident occurred on the «Trakia» motorway in eastern Bulgaria due to dense fog. At least 12 people died and another 46 were injured as a result of two separate collisions.

 

According to a report by the Associated Press agency, citing data from Bulgarian officials, the incident occurred on the morning of 10 November on the section of the motorway connecting Sofia and the Black Sea coastal city of Burgas, passing through the territory of Yambol Province.

 

According to preliminary information, a total of 86 vehicles, including trucks, were involved in the two major collisions. Of these, 63 were in the Burgas direction, and 23 were in the lane heading toward Sofia.

 

Bulgarian Health Minister Katya Ivkova announced that 10 people died at the scene, and two more died while being taken to hospital. The 46 injured people were transported to medical facilities.

 

According to preliminary information from representatives of the Bulgarian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the accident may have been caused by suddenly intensified dense fog, wet road conditions, and speed unsuitable for the weather conditions. According to witnesses, visibility was initially 70–80 metres, but then sharply decreased to 10 metres.

 

The first collision occurred in the Burgas direction. In it, a truck obstructed the movement of a bus, and subsequently another truck and a passenger car were also involved in the collision. Drivers being distracted by the first incident may also have contributed to the second traffic accident in the oncoming direction.

 

Due to the incident, traffic in both directions of the motorway was temporarily suspended. Hundreds of police officers, fire services, and medical personnel were involved in the rescue operations. Two criminal cases have been opened regarding the incident, and investigative actions have begun.