Bulgaria motorway pileup kills 12, injures dozens
SOFIA: Twelve people died and dozens were injured on Tuesday in a mass pileup in thick fog on a motorway in southeastern Bulgaria, whose roads rank as the most dangerous in the EU.
Twelve people lost their lives and dozens were injured in a massive pileup on a Bulgarian motorway due to thick fog, according to BTA state news agency. The accident, which involved around 50 cars and trucks traveling in both directions on the highway connecting Sofia to Burgas, occurred near the city of Yambol. Visibility had dropped to approximately 10 meters just before the incident, according to Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev.
The sudden change in weather conditions was identified as the main cause for the pileup. Eleven victims died at the scene, while one more succumbed to injuries at a hospital, bringing the total fatalities to 12. Another 13 individuals suffered critical injuries, and 51 people were admitted to hospitals in nearby cities. The government dispatched two planes equipped with stretchers and medical teams to the scene after Prime Minister Rumen Radev cancelled his appointments for the day.
The government plans to designate Wednesday as a day of national mourning. Regional governor Georgi Chalakov attributed the accident to the poor road conditions in Bulgaria, which are ranked as the most dangerous in the EU.
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