SOFIA — A blinding corridor of thick fog triggered a catastrophic series of vehicle crashes along eastern Bulgaria’s main motorway on Tuesday, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more.
Visibility vanished within minutes. The heavy mist smothered the arterial highway linking Bulgaria’s capital, Sofia, with the Black Sea port hub of Burgas, leading directly to two separate chain-reaction pileups. The impact tore through traffic, leaving wreckage strewn across both lanes and prompting emergency services to shutter the thoroughfare entirely in both directions.
"Ten people died on the spot," confirmed Health Minister Katya Ivkova, detailing the rapid scale of the disaster. Two additional victims succumbed to critical trauma while paramedics transported them to nearby emergency rooms.
Rescue teams mobilized dozens of ambulances to pull survivors from crushed vehicles. In total, emergency services transported 46 injured motorists to regional medical facilities for urgent treatment.
Police and transport authorities completely halted traffic on the Sofia-Burgas corridor to clear debris, secure the accident zones, and allow forensic recovery teams to examine the wreckage. The highway serves as Bulgaria's primary commercial freight and passenger artery connecting western administrative centers with eastern maritime terminals. Dense seasonal fog in southeastern Bulgaria frequently impairs visibility across low-lying motorway corridors, creating acute hazards for commercial haulers and commuter traffic alike.
| Incident Metric | Official Figure / Status |
|---|---|
| Location | Sofia-Burgas Motorway, Eastern Bulgaria |
| Primary Contributing Factor | Dense fog / reduced visibility |
| Pileup Sites | 2 separate collision zones |
| Fatalities | 12 confirmed (10 on-site, 2 during transport) |
| Hospitalized Injuries | 46 motorists transported to medical facilities |
| Highway Operational Status | Closed in both directions |
Traffic police and emergency recovery crews will keep the motorway closed in both directions until cleanup operations finish and highway safety inspectors formally clear the route for traffic.