More than 15 fire engines and over 30 roadside assistance vehicles are clearing the Trakia Motorway between the Zimnitsa and Kabile interchanges near Yambol. The removal of the vehicles involved in the two chain-reaction crashes, which occurred in both directions of the motorway in dense fog, has been ongoing for more than an hour. Hundreds of police officers are also taking part in the operation.
A total of 86 vehicles were involved in the accidents. The fire crews are from Sliven, Karnobat and Yambol, while rescue operations at the scene are continuing.
According to the Ministry of Health, 51 people have been admitted to medical facilities – 33 in Sliven, 11 in Yambol and 7 in Burgas. Thirteen of those injured are in serious condition. Earlier information from the ministry cited 11 people killed at the scene and one person who died in a hospital in Yambol, but it was subsequently clarified that the final confirmed death toll is 11.
The first report of the crash was received shortly after 7 a.m. The Ministry of the Interior said that 63 of the vehicles had been travelling towards Burgas, while 23 had been travelling towards Sofia. Two pre-trial proceedings have been initiated to establish the causes and mechanism of the incidents.
“An expert assessment will be carried out, including a drone inspection,” said Lubomir Nikolov, acting chief secretary of the Ministry of the Interior.The investigation will be assigned to the National Investigation Service. Inspections of the accident scenes, witness interviews and expert assessments are forthcoming. Until the vehicles are removed and the road is secured, traffic in the affected section remains difficult.
Sources: news.bg