At least 11 people were killed and 51 injured on Tuesday in two major pile-ups on Bulgaria's Trakia Motorway, after dense fog closed in near the city of Yambol in the south-east of the country. Prime Minister Rumen Radev gave the figures at a press conference carried by Bulgarian National Radio, as emergency crews worked through the morning at the scene.

The two crashes involved 86 cars and lorries in total, according to the radio report. Emergency services were first alerted through the 112 number at 7:10 a.m. Some later updates put the death toll at 12, with about 50 people injured, as hospitals continued to treat the casualties.

How the crashes unfolded

The first crash happened in the lanes heading towards Burgas, on the Black Sea coast, where a lorry blocked the path of a passenger bus, according to Lubomir Nikolov, acting chief secretary of the Ministry of the Interior. A second pile-up then developed on the other carriageway of the motorway, which links the capital, Sofia, with Burgas.

The causes of the accidents have yet to be conclusively established. Radev said the crashes happened amid a sudden onset of dense fog and slippery road conditions. Reports from the scene said visibility had fallen to less than 50 metres early in the morning, and images showed overturned and crushed cars and lorries wedged together, with some vehicles burnt out.

Rescue effort and road closure

Emergency medical teams, police officers and military personnel assisted the victims at the scene. The injured were taken to hospitals in Sliven, Yambol and Burgas. A government aircraft was diverted to Burgas to transport some of the injured, and a military transport aircraft, a Spartan, was also dispatched, the Bulgarian News Agency reported.

The BG-ALERT emergency notification system was activated across the districts of Yambol, Sliven and Burgas to warn drivers of the dangerous conditions and inform them of diversion routes. The motorway was closed in both directions while wreckage was cleared and police investigated.

The government meeting scheduled for 10 November was cancelled, along with all events in Varna planned as part of a visit by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Council of Ministers announced. The National Centre for Transfusion Haematology appealed to people across the country who are eligible to donate blood to visit their nearest donation centre.

Bulgaria's road safety record

The crash underlines Bulgaria's poor road safety record. Bulgaria saw 71 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2025, the highest rate in the European Union, according to European Commission figures. Regional governor Georgi Chalakov declared a partial state of emergency for Straldzha, Tundzha and Yambol because of the scale of the disaster.

Frequently asked questions

How many vehicles were involved? Two pile-ups involving 86 cars and lorries in total, according to Bulgarian National Radio.

What caused the crashes? Officials cited sudden dense fog and slippery roads, but the causes have not yet been conclusively established and the investigation continues.

Is the Trakia Motorway open? The road was closed in both directions after the crashes, with drivers diverted while wreckage was removed.