A partial state of emergency has been declared in the municipalities of Straldzha, Tundzha and Yambol following the massive chain-reaction crashes on the „Trakia“ Motorway. The order was issued by Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov and has been in force since 7:30 a.m.
The Regional Administration cited as grounds the „extremely complicated situation in the region“ and the „significant material damage“ caused by the serious road accidents.
Commissioner Ivan Dinev, director of the Regional Directorate of „Fire Safety and Protection of the Population“ – Yambol, has been appointed coordinator of the on-site operations. Hundreds of police officers, firefighters and medical teams are involved in the rescue efforts.
Dozens of Injured People Have Been Admitted to Hospitals
The crashes reportedly left 12 people dead and at least 50 injured. The injured have been transported to medical facilities in Sliven, Yambol and Burgas, while military and government aircraft have been made available to transport the most seriously injured to clinics in the capital.
According to preliminary data, a sudden drop in dense fog reduced visibility to around 10 metres. Dozens of vehicles collided on a wet road amid severely deteriorated weather conditions.
Because of the scale of the incident, the authorities have launched Operation „Save“. The emergency regime in the three municipalities is intended to ensure coordination among rescue teams, the necessary equipment and measures to limit the consequences of the crashes.