Bulgaria highway pileup fog, Digi Mart USA News (Zimnitsa, Bulgaria): At least eleven people have died in a major chain-reaction collision on a motorway in Bulgaria. Dense fog reduced visibility at the site near Zimnitsa, and dozens of cars collided with one another.
A regional governor said more than seventy vehicles were involved in the tragedy. “The devastation is indescribable, I have never seen anything like it,” he said at the scene.
At least fifty people have been taken to hospital, and some of them are in serious condition.
The crash began when a truck collided with a bus on the A1 motorway between the capital, Sofia, and the seaside resort of Burgas. The collisions caused massive wreckage in both directions of the six-lane road.
One driver said vehicles suddenly appeared stopped ahead while traveling at about 100 kilometers per hour. “I braked hard, but I could not stop in time,” he said.
Another driver said he was able to pull a man from a burning car before hearing further crashes on the opposite carriageway.
At the moment of the collisions, visibility was less than 50 meters because of the thick fog. Firefighters were still checking the wrecked vehicles to determine whether anyone remained trapped.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was visiting Bulgaria when news of the crash emerged. She decided to shorten her meeting with Prime Minister Radev.
In a message, she expressed her condolences and admiration for the emergency services.
