Eleven Killed, 51 Hospitalized in Trakia Motorway Pile-Ups Involving 86 Vehicles 2026

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Eleven people were killed and 51 were hospitalized after two major pile-ups involving 86 vehicles on the Trakia Motorway near the Zimnitsa junction in Yambol Region on Tuesday, prompting a large-scale emergency response, a national day of mourning and an investigation into the causes of the crashes.
According to the latest figures provided by the Interior Ministry, 63 vehicles were involved in the pile-up on the Burgas-bound carriageway and 23 on the Sofia-bound carriageway. Health Minister Katya Ivkova said ten people had died at the scene and one in hospital. Thirteen of the injured were in serious condition.
Health Ministry figures as at 5 p.m. showed that 33 injured people had been admitted to hospitals in Sliven, 11 in Yambol and seven in Burgas. Hospitals in Sofia, Plovdiv, Haskovo and Stara Zagora were also placed on standby to receive patients if necessary.
Prime Minister Rumen Radev ordered government and military aircraft to be made available for transporting seriously injured patients to Sofia. Two Spartan military transport aircraft carrying stretchers and medical teams were deployed to the region, while the government aircraft was also placed at the disposal of the emergency services. Radev cancelled Tuesday’s Cabinet meeting and his remaining engagements in Varna.
The crashes occurred early on Tuesday morning amid dense fog, which severely restricted visibility and hampered rescue operations. Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev said visibility had fallen to approximately 70–80 metres before the accidents, with the fog thickening rapidly.
Acting Interior Ministry Secretary General Lyubomir Nikolov said the first pile-up occurred on the Burgas-bound carriageway after a lorry blocked the path of a passenger bus. Further collisions followed, involving a lorry carrying wheat and a passenger car. All those killed were travelling towards Burgas, he said.
On the opposite carriageway, investigators believe drivers may have slowed down to observe the first crash, contributing to a second series of collisions. Officials also identified the wet road surface and speeds unsuitable for the conditions as possible contributing factors.
The National Investigation Service took over the investigation because of the severity of the crashes. Yambol District Prosecutor Doychin Doychev said two pre-trial proceedings had been opened, one for each pile-up.
Acting National Investigation Service Director Marian Marinov said a team of ten investigators, accompanied by experts and a mobile forensic laboratory, had taken over the investigation and carried out most of the urgent investigative actions, including inspections of the scenes and interviews with witnesses. Further analysis and expert examinations would seek to establish the precise causes of the initial collisions and determine criminal responsibility.
Marinov said the absence of a fog warning sign was not currently part of the investigation. He explained that the inquiry was focused on the circumstances of the crashes and the identification of any individuals whose actions could give rise to criminal liability.
Demerdzhiev said the investigation would also examine the condition of the asphalt and road markings. The Road Infrastructure Agency began taking samples from the motorway surface to assess its condition. Agency Management Board member Ventsislav Angelov said differences in the colour of the asphalt and signs of deformation had been observed, but stressed that laboratory results were needed before conclusions could be drawn.
Angelov noted that the motorway’s active lane had been resurfaced two years earlier and that the section was classified as being in good condition in the Regional Road Administration’s records. The agency would also check when the road markings had last been renewed.
Speaking at the scene, Prime Minister Radev called for a thorough analysis of the crashes and raised questions about the quality of earlier road repairs. He said the Government was preparing a unified national information centre to operate around the clock from 2027, bringing together institutions responsible for road safety and providing real-time information about road conditions.
The Prime Minister said electronic information boards were also planned for motorways to warn drivers about dangerous conditions. Demerdzhiev noted that the Road Infrastructure Agency’s cameras were not currently linked to traffic police systems and that the necessary information boards had not yet been installed.
Radev said the Government would consider additional financial support for the victims and their families, while the Labour and Social Policy Minister would announce compensation measures.
Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov declared a partial state of emergency in the municipalities of Straldzha, Tundzha and Yambol. Emergency medical teams, police, military personnel and firefighters from several regions were mobilized. Seventeen fire and rescue teams worked at the scene, where some vehicles had overturned and sections of crash barrier had to be removed to reach the injured.
Dense fog initially prevented a medical helicopter from landing at the crash site. Its medical personnel were subsequently transported to the scene by police vehicles to assist with the rescue operation.
The Trakia Motorway remained closed in both directions near the Zimnitsa junction, with traffic diverted through alternative routes via Karnobat, Sliven and nearby settlements. The Road Infrastructure Agency warned that the closure could continue for an extended period because of the number of damaged vehicles and the ongoing investigation.
The Council of Ministers declared Wednesday, November 11, a day of national mourning for the victims. Sofia Mayor Vassil Terziev cancelled public, cultural and entertainment events organised by municipal institutions.
The Bulgarian Red Cross, Sofia Municipality and the National Centre for Transfusion Haematology announced a blood donation campaign for Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Centre’s premises at 112 Bratya Miladinovi Street in Sofia. Similar campaigns were announced in regional cities nationwide. The Health Ministry said hospitals treating the injured had sufficient blood supplies, with additional quantities available if needed.
The Council for Electronic Media called on broadcasters to avoid sensationalism and respect the dignity of the victims, the injured and their families. The regulator said it had launched extraordinary monitoring of media coverage of the tragedy.

Eleven Killed, 51 Hospitalized in Trakia Motorway Pile-Ups Involving 86 Vehicles 2026 THE NEWS FROM BULGARIA – NEWS AGENCY 2009-2025 2026-11-10 11:53:02

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BULGARIA NEWS – NEWS AGENCY 2009–2026 2026-11-10 11:53:02