Bulgaria motorway pile-up: injured toll rises to 50, death toll at 12
The number hurt in Tuesday's Trakia motorway pile-up near Yambol has risen to 50, up from 48 reported earlier; the death toll stands at 12, officials say.
Update ·
Injured toll rises to 50, up from 48 reported earlier Tuesday, multiple outlets report.
All 2 updates ↓The number of people injured in Tuesday's chain-reaction crashes on the Trakia motorway near Yambol in south-eastern Bulgaria has risen to 50, up from the 48 reported earlier by Prime Minister Rumen Radev, according to multiple outlets including the Irish Independent and In-Cyprus. The death toll stands at 12, Health Minister Katya Ivkova said; ten people died at the scene and two more died later in hospital, according to Mediafax.
Around 50 vehicles, including cars, vans and lorries, were involved in pile-ups in both directions of the motorway between the Zimnitsa and Kabile junctions, regional governor Georgi Chalakov said. Dense fog, a wet road surface and vehicles travelling too fast for conditions were among the factors being examined, Bulgaria's interior ministry said.
The first crash happened shortly after 7am in the direction of Burgas, followed by further collisions on the opposite carriageway toward Sofia, broadcaster Nova reported. One driver told Nova a lorry had slammed into his car from behind: "It crashed into us and sent us flying into the crash barrier." A passenger on a bus caught in the pile-up described grain pouring through shattered windows as people were thrown on top of each other.
A Romanian citizen is among the injured and is receiving medical care, Romania's foreign minister, Dan Neculăescu, said on X. Romanian Prime Minister Luca Niculescu said he had been informed of the case and offered his condolences to the families of those killed.
Rescue teams from Yambol, Sliven, Burgas and Stara Zagora, including more than 20 soldiers, searched the wreckage for survivors, cutting through metal to free people trapped in crushed vehicles, officials said. At least 27 people were taken to hospitals in the region in the first hours.
The motorway remained closed in both directions, with traffic diverted onto secondary roads and the BG-Alert warning system activated in the Yambol, Sliven and Burgas regions. Radev cancelled further engagements in Varna, where he had been meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and called off a scheduled cabinet meeting.
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What we know
- The death toll from Tuesday's pile-up on the Trakia motorway near Yambol stands at 12, Bulgaria's health minister said, up from 11 reported earlier by Prime Minister Radev.
- The number of injured has risen to 50, up from the 48 reported earlier Tuesday, according to multiple outlets.
- Official · officials About 50 vehicles were involved in crashes in both directions, caused by dense fog, a wet road and excessive speed, officials said.
- Official · Romania's foreign minister A Romanian citizen is among the injured and receiving treatment, Romania's foreign minister confirmed.
- 1 outlet · Mediafax Rescue crews from four regions, including more than 20 soldiers, searched for and freed people trapped in wrecked vehicles.
- 1 outlet · Mediafax The motorway remains closed in both directions, with the BG-Alert warning system activated in three regions.
How each fact is established: Verified checked by an ECTV editorOfficial stated by an official body2+ outlets reported independently by two or more news organisations1 outlet reported by a single news organisation so farUnconfirmed claimed or reportedHow we label facts
Figure history
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Why it matters for Europe
Bulgaria's Trakia motorway is the country's main route linking the capital Sofia with the Black Sea coast, carrying heavy daily traffic between the interior and tourist and port cities such as Burgas. A pile-up of this scale, with about 50 vehicles involved in both directions at once, closed the route for hours and strained hospitals in four regions, while drawing a response from Romania's government because one of its citizens was hurt.
Updates
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Injured toll rises to 50, up from 48 reported earlier Tuesday, multiple outlets report.
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Death toll rises to 12, Bulgaria's health minister says, up from 11 reported earlier.
First published.
Sources
Reported by 46 reports from 45 independent outlets in 21 countries.
- Mediafax: UPDATE Tragedie în Bulgaria. Accidente pe autostradă soldate cu 12 morți. Un român printre răniți
- Libertatea: Accident pe autostrada Trakia din Bulgaria: cel puțin 10 morți și zeci de răniți după două caramboluri masive în care au fost implicate 50 de mașini
- Euronews: At least 11 dead and dozens injured in Bulgarian motorway pile-up
- Euronews: Aerial footage reveals devastation after deadly Bulgaria highway crash
- Tagesspiegel: Dichter Nebel auf Autobahn: Elf Tote bei Auffahrunfällen in Bulgarien – viele Verletzte
Source balance
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Intelligence file
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Confidence and impact scores, 45 more sources, the full situation report and the event timeline.
Questions and answers
- How many people have died in the Bulgaria motorway pile-up?
- 12, Bulgaria's health minister said, up from 11 reported earlier by Prime Minister Radev.
- How many people were injured?
- 50, up from the 48 reported earlier Tuesday, according to multiple outlets.
- What caused the crashes?
- Officials blamed dense fog, a wet road and excessive speed on the Trakia motorway near Yambol.
This article was written with AI assistance from 50 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.