Fog pile-up of about 50 vehicles kills 12 on Bulgarian motorway

At least 12 people were killed when about 50 cars and trucks crashed in thick fog on a motorway in southeastern Bulgaria on 10 November, officials said.

The crashes happened near the town of Yambol, on the motorway that links the capital, Sofia, with the Black Sea port of Burgas, Al Jazeera reported, citing the AFP and AP news agencies. The road was closed in both directions.

Health Minister Katya Ivkova said 10 people died at the scene and two died on the way to hospital. She said 46 people were taken to hospitals for treatment.

Georgi Chalakov, governor of the Yambol region, said about 50 cars and trucks were involved, the state news agency BTA reported. Bloomberg reported that there were pile-ups on both sides of the motorway. Gulf News had earlier put the toll at 11.

The government sent two aircraft fitted with stretchers and medical teams, according to Al Jazeera. Police, firefighters and paramedics went to the scene.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who was meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen during her visit to Bulgaria, called the crash a tragedy. He cancelled his official events for the rest of the day.

The background

Bulgaria has the most dangerous roads in the European Union. It recorded 71 road deaths for every million people in 2025, the highest rate in the bloc, according to European Commission figures.

The cause of each crash had not been announced when this story was published.