Fog-Related Pileup on Bulgaria’s A1 Highway Kills 12, Injures Dozens

At least 12 people were killed and dozens more injured Tuesday in a series of collisions on both sides of a Bulgarian highway, authorities reported.

The interior ministry said a collision between a bus and a truck triggered a multivehicle pileup on the A1 highway near the southeastern city of Yambol.

Weather Conditions Cited as Likely Factor

Ministry general secretary Lyubomir Nikolov told reporters at the scene that fog was likely responsible for the crash.

Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov estimated that around 50 cars and trucks were involved in the accident.

Health Minister Katya Ivkova said 10 victims died at the scene and two more died while being transported to hospitals. She added that 46 injured people were taken to medical facilities.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who had been hosting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, cleared his schedule for the remainder of Tuesday. Von der Leyen said she would shorten her visit.

Rescue Operations Underway

Police, firefighters, and paramedics were dispatched to the A1 highway, which links the capital, Sofia, with the Black Sea port city of Burgas.

Todor Mishinev, chief inspector with the Yambol Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, told Nova TV that several people remained trapped in their vehicles at the time of his remarks.

“Right now, the priority is rescue operations,” he said. “Once they are completed, procedural and investigative actions will follow.”

The injured were transported to hospitals in nearby cities, while authorities sent two aircraft carrying medical teams and stretcher equipment to the scene.

Bulgaria recorded 71 road deaths per million inhabitants in 2025, the highest rate in the European Union, according to European Commission data. The EU average stands at 43 per million.

Victims and observers cite reckless driving, neglected road infrastructure, and an inefficient justice system as factors behind the country’s high number of fatal traffic accidents.

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