World · Europe · 1 hr ago

Foggy motorway crashes kill at least 11 in Bulgaria, officials say

Foggy motorway crashes kill at least 11 in Bulgaria, officials say

Two pileups in dense fog killed at least 11 people on Tuesday on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria; a health minister gave a toll of 12.

The crashes happened on the A1, which links the capital, Sofia, with the eastern city of Burgas.

Officials gave different figures for the injured: 46 people were taken to medical facilities, while another count put the number at 50.

The fog was identified as the likely cause, and one official said the first collision involved a bus and a truck.

The motorway was closed in both directions as police, firefighters and ambulance crews responded.

Rescue operations are the immediate priority, with some people reported trapped in vehicles.

Investigations are expected to follow the rescue work, and Bulgaria’s prime minister said aircraft had been deployed to evacuate wounded people.

3 sources

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What people are saying

Rumen RadevBulgaria’s prime minister
tragedy
via Straits Times
Ursula von der LeyenEuropean Commission president
I would like to express my deepest condolences and I would like to pay respects to the rescue teams,
via Straits Times
Todor MishinevChief Inspector, Yambol Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs
Right now, the priority is rescue operations. Once they are completed, the procedural and investigative actions will be carried out,
via Straits Times