At least seven people have died and more than 50 have been injured in two serious multiple-vehicle collisions on the Trakia Motorway near the Zimnitsa interchange. The figures for the fatalities and injured were reported by the Road Safety Institute, while rescue teams continue working at the scene.
One of the crashes occurred at kilometre 289 in the carriageway towards Burgas, while the other took place at kilometre 294 in the direction of Sofia. More than 50 vehicles, including passenger cars and heavy goods vehicles, were involved in the incidents.
The first call to the 112 emergency number was made at 7:10 a.m. There was dense fog and a slippery road surface in the area. In some places, people were trapped in their vehicles, and rescuers removed guardrails to reach them.
The motorway is closed in both directions
Traffic has been halted on the section between the Karnobat and Hadzhi Dimitarovo interchanges. The detour runs through Sliven and Petolachkata towards Karnobat. Work to clear the road and remove the crashed vehicles is continuing.
“The situation on the Trakia Motorway is quite serious,” said Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov. According to him, all available teams are working at the scene, with services from Yambol, Sliven and Burgas involved in the operation.
The BG-ALERT system was activated at around 8:30 a.m. to warn drivers about the danger and the restrictions. A crisis headquarters has been set up to coordinate the services.
Spartan aircraft on standby
The injured are being transported to medical facilities. A Spartan military transport aircraft has been placed on standby at Burgas Airport and can be used if necessary to airlift the injured.
At present, the number of fatalities and injured people has been reported by the Road Safety Institute, while the final verification of all details is ongoing. The causes of the crashes are being investigated.