A major pile-up involving dozens of vehicles has occurred in south-eastern Bulgaria, near the village of Zimnitsa in Yambol Province. Twelve people were killed and around 50 were injured, reports Reuters.
The crash happened on the morning of 10 November on the Trakia motorway. According to information from the Associated Press, 86 vehicles were involved in the collision, including many lorries.
The Secretary General of Bulgaria's Ministry of Interior, Lyubomir Nikolov, said the pile-up began after a bus collided with a lorry. According to Health Minister Katya Ivkova, 11 people died at the scene and another victim died in hospital.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident. According to preliminary findings, the crash was caused by a sharp drop in visibility due to dense fog and speeds that were too high for such conditions.
Because of the tragedy, Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev cut short a meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and travelled to the scene. He declared 11 November a day of national mourning.
