The tragedy occurred in Yambol Province near the village of Zimnitsa. Dozens of passenger cars and trucks were involved in the collisions. According to the Bulgarian government, more than 70 vehicles were involved in the incidents.
Causes and circumstances of the accidents
The first accident was triggered by dense fog, which limited visibility on the highway. The second incident occurred on the oncoming lane heading towards Sofia. As reported by the Bulgarian Telegraph Agency (BTA) citing an official, one of the factors in the second accident was that drivers were distracted by the consequences of the first collision.
Consequences of the accidents
The first reports of the incident arrived at 07:10 local time. Due to poor visibility, rescuers were unable to use helicopters for evacuation. To provide assistance to the victims, part of the road barriers had to be dismantled. The injured were transported to medical facilities in Yambol, Sliven, and Burgas regions.
Context
The accidents occurred on the Trakia motorway. The situation was reported by Yambol Governor Georgi Chalakov and Sliven Governor Mihail Kasherov. Earlier, the country's Minister of Health Katya Ivkova had reported 11 deaths: ten people died at the scene, and one more in the hospital.
