At least 11 dead, dozens injured in Bulgarian motorway pile-up

Two major pile-ups involving a total of 86 cars and lorries occurred this morning on Bulgaria's Trakia Motorway, in the area of Yambol. At least 11 people have been killed and 49 injured, according the current information. This was announced at a press conference by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, which was broadcast by the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR).

The emergency services were alerted via the 112 emergency number at 7:10 a.m.

The first crash occurred in the lanes heading towards Burgas, where a lorry blocked the path of a passenger bus, said Lubomir Nikolov, Acting Chief Secretary of the Ministry of the Interior.

The causes of the accidents are yet to be conclusively established. According to Radev, the serious road accidents occurred amid a sudden onset of dense fog and slippery road conditions.

The government aircraft has been diverted to Burgas to transport some of the injured, and a military transport aircraft, a Spartan, has also been dispatched, BTA reported.

Emergency medical teams, police officers and military personnel are assisting the victims at the scene. The injured have been taken to hospitals in Sliven, Yambol and Burgas.

The BG-ALERT emergency notification system has been activated across the districts of Yambol, Sliven and Burgas to warn drivers of the dangerous conditions and inform them of available diversion routes.

In the wake of the tragedy, the government meeting scheduled for 10 November has been cancelled, along with all the events in Varna planned as part of the visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Council of Ministers announced.

In connection with the incident, the National Centre for Transfusion Haematology has appealed to people across the country who are eligible to donate blood to visit their nearest blood donation centre and give blood, BTA reported.

Edited by Ivo Ivanov