Disaster in Bulgaria: Dozens Killed and Injured in Mass Pileup of Vehicles

In depth

A massive pileup occurred on the highway between Sofia and Burgas in southeastern Bulgaria, on a stretch covered in heavy fog. More than 50 vehicles collided with one another in both directions of travel, with visibility on the road dropping to almost zero. Rescue forces were dispatched to the scene and worked to extract those trapped inside the vehicles.

According to data released later, at least 12 people were killed and 27 were injured. Many vehicles were crushed between trucks, some overturned or veered onto the shoulder of the road, and one of them caught fire. Dozens of the injured were evacuated to hospitals by ambulances and helicopters.

Police said the road was closed to traffic in both directions, and that drone footage from the scene shows dozens of trucks and crushed vehicles blocking hundreds of meters of the road. The prime minister ordered that aircraft be deployed to evacuate the injured.