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TWELVE people were killed and 50 injured in a multi-vehicle pile-up on an eastern Bulgarian motorway on Tuesday, as thick fog caused a collision involving about 50 vehicles, officials said.
The crash occurred on the A1 motorway near the city of Yambol, which connects the capital Sofia with the eastern city of Burgas. Emergency services rushed to the scene, where cars and lorries were left crushed, overturned or scattered across the six-lane highway.
Reuters cited Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry Secretary-General Lyubomir Nikolov said fog was the likely cause of the accident, which began with a collision between a bus and a lorry about 75 km west of Burgas.
Eleven people died at the scene, while another succumbed to injuries in hospital, Healthcare Minister Katya Ivkova said.
The Interior Ministry said 50 injured people had been taken to hospital, while Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov told state news agency BTA that about 50 vehicles were involved.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared Wednesday a day of national mourning, describing the incident as a tragedy.
He said aircraft had been deployed to evacuate the injured and that he planned to visit the crash site, where some victims had initially been trapped in their vehicles.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was visiting Bulgaria, said she would cut short her trip following the accident.
She expressed condolences to the victims and paid tribute to the rescue teams. - November 11, 2026
