Bulgaria motorway pile-ups kill at least 11 in dense fog

Dense fog contributed to two motorway pile-ups in southeastern Bulgaria on Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and injuring dozens more. Reports differed on the death toll and the number of vehicles involved.

The crashes happened on the Trakia motorway near Yambol, on the route between the capital, Sofia, and the Black Sea port of Burgas. The road was closed in both directions.

The BBC reported that Health Minister Katya Ivkova put the death toll at 11: 10 people died at the scene, near the town of Zimnitsa, and one died in hospital. Al Jazeera reported a toll of at least 12, citing Ivkova as saying 10 people “died on the spot” and two died while they were being taken to hospital. Both outlets reported that 46 people were injured or taken to medical facilities for treatment.

Accounts of the scale of the pile-ups also differed. The BBC reported that Sliven region governor Mihail Kasherov said more than 70 cars and lorries were involved. Al Jazeera, citing the BTA state news agency, said Yambol region governor Georgi Chalakov estimated that about 50 cars and trucks were involved.

Officials said dense fog sharply reduced visibility and was the likely cause of the first crash, on the eastbound carriageway. The second, on the Sofia-bound carriageway, was also likely caused by fog, with drivers possibly distracted by the first crash, the BBC reported, citing BTA. Road administration director Galin Kostov said vehicles were travelling at speeds unsuitable for the fog and wet road surfaces, according to the BBC. The motorway would remain closed until it was cleared, he said.

The first reports came in at 07:10 local time (05:10 GMT), Chalakov said, according to the BBC. Ambulances took injured people to hospitals in the Yambol, Sliven and Burgas regions. Rescue teams had to remove sections of crash barrier to reach people, he said.

The BBC reported that Chalakov said fog prevented helicopters from being used in the evacuation. Al Jazeera reported that the government dispatched two aircraft equipped with stretchers and medical teams.

One witness who helped pull a man from a burning vehicle blamed “very thick fog” for the crashes. “I got out of the car, I ran forward and pulled that man out,” the witness told Reuters, according to the BBC. Another witness told Reuters that “many, many people died,” adding: “I don’t know how I got out or what happened, but in the end, thank God I’m still alive.”

Prime Minister Rumen Radev cut short a news conference while hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the BBC reported. Al Jazeera said he cancelled official events scheduled for later Tuesday and called the accident a “tragedy.”