Twelve people were killed and 50 injured in a massive motorway pile-up involving dozens of vehicles in eastern Bulgaria on Tuesday. The accident occurred on the A1 road, a major artery connecting the capital Sofia with the city of Burgas.
Images from the scene showed a chaotic expanse of crushed, overturned, and displaced cars and trucks spread across six lanes of the highway. Emergency services, including police, firefighters, and ambulance crews, were quickly dispatched to the location.
Officials believe thick fog was the primary cause of the crash, which reportedly began with a collision between a bus and a truck approximately 47 miles west of Burgas. According to the Interior Ministry, 11 individuals died at the scene, with an additional fatality occurring later at a hospital.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev declared Wednesday a day of mourning for the nation and referred to the incident as a "tragedy." He also announced the deployment of aircraft to assist in evacuating the wounded and stated his intention to visit the accident site.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who was visiting Bulgaria on the same day, expressed her condolences and paid tribute to the rescue teams. She subsequently shortened her visit.
