Bulgaria Motorway Pile-Up: 12 Dead in Fog on the Trakia Motorway

The first crashes were reported shortly after 7 a.m. on the Trakia motorway, which links Sofia and Burgas, near the Zimnitsa junction. The Interior Ministry says the first pile-up, on the Burgas-bound carriageway, began when a lorry blocked a passenger bus. A lorry carrying wheat was then involved, a car hit it, and more vehicles followed. Acting chief secretary Lyubomir Nikolov said visibility fell from about 70 to 80 metres to about 10 metres.

A second pile-up followed on the opposite, Sofia-bound carriageway. The ministry's working assumption is that it happened in a similar way, possibly because drivers were distracted by the crash on the other side. Investigators also point to the wet road and to speeds unsuited to the conditions.

The death toll rose during the day. Radev first gave 11 dead and 48 injured, then 12 dead and more than 50 injured at a later briefing. The Health Ministry said the toll may not be final. BTA reports that 10 people died at the scene and one in hospital, and that all of the dead were on the Burgas-bound carriageway.

Fog stopped a medical helicopter from Sliven landing, so its crew were driven to the scene by police. Ambulances could not reach the middle of the crash and rescuers carried some of the injured on stretchers. Sections of the crash barrier were removed to get to people, and 17 fire and rescue teams worked at the scene. Two military transport aircraft carried medical teams, and a government aircraft was made available to move the seriously injured to Sofia. Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov declared a partial state of emergency in three municipalities. The motorway was closed in both directions, with traffic diverted through Karnobat and Sliven.

The Yambol District Prosecutor's Office opened two pre-trial proceedings, one for each pile-up, and the case was handed to the National Investigation Service. Ten investigators with forensic specialists and a mobile laboratory are inspecting the scene, questioning witnesses and examining vehicles. No conclusions on criminal responsibility have been announced.

The Road Infrastructure Agency took asphalt samples; its board member Ventsislav Angelov said colour differences and deformation were seen but laboratory results are needed. He said the active lane was resurfaced two years ago and was rated in good condition. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said the agency's cameras are not linked to the traffic police and that required information boards have not been installed. Acting National Investigation Service director Marian Marinov said the absence of a fog warning sign is not currently part of the investigation.

Radev called it a black day for all of Bulgaria and declared Wednesday 11 November a national day of mourning. He said the crash showed long-standing road-safety weaknesses, including the lack of electronic warning boards on motorways, and announced a national road information centre planned for 2027. Opposition politicians demanded resignations of officials responsible for road safety, and the government has said it will look at support for victims' families. Parliament held a minute's silence and the Central Election Commission cancelled a ceremony planned for 11 November.

• The cause. Fog is the probable cause, according to the Interior Ministry. The exact sequence and any responsibility have not been established.
• The final toll. Figures changed during the day and officials have said they may change again.
• The road. Laboratory results on the asphalt, and when road markings were last renewed, are still to come.

The animation in our video is our own reconstruction. It uses the reported location, the two carriageways, the vehicle counts of 63 and 23 and the fog visibility described by officials. The positions and order of individual vehicles are illustrative and are not a record of each moment. The narration is AI-generated. We did not use footage from the scene.