Massive Multi-Vehicle Crash Leaves at Least 12 Dead in Bulgaria

At least twelve people were killed and fifty others injured, many of them seriously, in what local authorities described as the largest traffic accident in the history of Bulgaria. The catastrophic pileup took place on Tuesday along the A1 Thrace highway, which links the capital city of Sofia to Burgas on the Black Sea coast.

Preliminary investigations indicate that the disaster began when a grain transport truck became stationary for reasons that remain unclear in a lane of the highway. Heavy fog had severely reduced visibility in the area to just ten meters.

A minibus subsequently crashed into the stopped truck, triggering a massive chain reaction of collisions that ultimately involved 86 vehicles, consisting of both passenger cars and transport vehicles. Footage captured by eyewitnesses showed numerous automobiles overturning, while others burst into flames.

The disaster occurred near Yambol, situated roughly 290 kilometers east of Sofia. Firefighters and emergency crews continued working at the scene to rescue individuals still trapped inside the wreckage of the damaged automobiles.

Local officials provided slightly varying preliminary figures regarding the casualties, with some reports noting eleven fatalities and 48 injuries, while updated local authority figures confirmed twelve dead and fifty injured. Prime Minister Rumen Radev addressed reporters regarding the tragedy, stating, "The death toll is currently eleven dead and 48 injured," while comprehensive rescue operations remained underway.

In response to the tragedy, Prime Minister Radev declared a day of national mourning. After concluding a scheduled meeting with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Prime Minister suspended his official agenda and traveled directly to the site of the disaster.

The Bulgarian government mobilized two military aircraft to assist in transporting the injured victims to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.

As the European Union's poorest member state, Bulgaria maintains the highest traffic fatality rate within the bloc. According to figures published by the European Commission for 2025, the nation records 71 deaths per million inhabitants, standing in stark contrast to countries like Sweden, which records 19 fatalities per million.