BULGARIA – An exceptionally tragic accident paralyzed one of Bulgaria’s main highways on Tuesday, November 10, 2026. Thick fog near the city of Yambol led to a massive pile-up involving dozens of cars, buses, and trucks. According to the latest report by the Associated Press, at least 12 people have been killed and dozens more were injured. The A1 Trakia motorway has been closed in both directions. Police, firefighters, medics, and the army were all dispatched for an extensive rescue operation.
Dozens of vehicles collided within minutes
The tragedy occurred at around 7:00 a.m. local time on the Trakia motorway, which connects the capital Sofia to the Black Sea port city of Burgas.
Bulgarian authorities report the first serious accident happened at the 289th kilometer of the highway, in the direction of Burgas.
Shortly afterward, another mass collision took place on the opposite carriageway at around the 294th kilometer, heading toward Sofia.
According to Bulgarian National Radio, more than 70 vehicles were involved in the two crashes combined.
The wreckage included cars, vans, buses, and heavy trucks among the vehicles involved.
Footage from the scene shows extensive vehicle damage and debris scattered across the road.
Death toll continued to rise
Initial reports indicated five deaths. Bulgarian authorities later raised that number to ten, then eleven.
Reuters reported eleven fatalities and around fifty injured.
The Associated Press subsequently stated the death toll had climbed to at least twelve.
Bulgarian Health Minister Katya Ivkova said that ten people died at the scene and two more en route to hospital.
According to her statement, 46 injured people were transported to medical facilities.
The figures continued to change during the rescue operation. The final numbers of dead and injured may not yet be definitive.
Dense fog reduced visibility to just a few meters
Investigators cite exceptionally heavy fog as the likely main cause of the tragedy.
According to Bulgarian TV channel bTV, visibility in some places suddenly dropped from 70–80 meters to as little as 10 meters.
Drivers had very little time to react to vehicles ahead of them.
Preliminary findings suggest the first serious crash in the Burgas-bound direction began with a collision between a bus and a truck.
Other vehicles then began to collide with the crash site.
However, the precise accident sequence will be the focus of a police investigation.
Police have not yet determined whether excessive speed or failure to maintain safe distance contributed to the disaster.
The army and a military plane were dispatched to the scene
The scale of the accident required an extraordinary mobilization of rescue services.
Ambulances, firefighters, and police units were dispatched from multiple regions.
The Bulgarian army also joined the rescue operation.
The Ministry of Defense sent a Spartan military transport aircraft to be on standby for evacuating seriously injured patients.
Hospitals in Yambol, Sliven, and Burgas enacted emergency measures.
Some patients could be transferred onward to hospitals in Sofia if needed.
The highway was completely closed
After the accidents, the Trakia motorway was closed in both directions.
Police diverted traffic onto alternative routes.
Authorities also activated Bulgaria’s BG-ALERT warning system.
The system was used to warn drivers about the hazardous situation and to advise on detours.
The closure has affected one of the country’s most important transport corridors.
The A1 motorway is a crucial link between Bulgaria’s interior and the Black Sea coast.
Drivers are advised to check with Bulgarian traffic authorities for the latest travel updates.
Major pile-ups of this kind have previously occurred elsewhere in Europe. Aktualizovane.sk has previously reported on a 13-vehicle crash in the Sitina Tunnel in Bratislava involving cars and a truck.
Bulgarian Prime Minister cancels government meeting
Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev responded to the tragedy.
During a press conference, he expressed condolences to the victims’ families and announced wide-ranging measures to support the injured.
The government cancelled its planned Tuesday session.
The Prime Minister also announced he would visit the affected region.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen was also in Bulgaria at the time.
She extended her condolences to the bereaved and shortened her visit schedule.
The crash is a stark reminder of the dangers of driving in fog
Thick fog presents significant risks on highways.
At high speeds, safe stopping distances can quickly become dangerously short.
At a speed of 130 km/h, a car covers around 36 meters per second, so with visibility of only 10 meters, there may not be time even to begin braking.
It is crucial to immediately reduce speed and adjust it to real-world visibility.
Drivers should allow extra space, use proper lighting, and avoid sudden maneuvers in foggy conditions.
Such road accidents are not exclusive to foreign countries. Recently, this portal reported on a fatal crash on Slovakia’s D1 highway near Ilava that claimed the life of a 60-year-old driver.
A bus crash on Hungary’s M3 motorway also ended tragically, resulting in at least 12 fatalities.
Travel through Bulgaria could be complicated
Bulgaria’s Trakia motorway is an important corridor for international transport.
It is used by freight carriers, tourists, and drivers headed for the Black Sea coast.
Slovak motorists planning trips to Bulgaria are urged to closely monitor traffic updates.
We regularly provide information about road incidents abroad.
Recently, we also reported on German military trucks involved in an accident on Poland’s A4 motorway.
Road safety remains a concern during extraordinary events even outside motorways, as highlighted by a recent tragedy on Germany’s A2, where a small aircraft crashed and killed two people.
Investigators will determine the precise cause of the tragedy
Once rescue efforts conclude, Bulgarian police will document each collision and reconstruct the sequence of events.
The investigation will focus on the circumstances of the initial impact, weather conditions, and the actions of individual drivers.
Intentional actions have not been confirmed as a factor in the crash so far.
The Trakia motorway pile-up ranks among the most serious recent Bulgarian traffic disasters, both in scale and casualties.
With over 70 vehicles wrecked, at least 12 deaths according to the latest AP report, and dozens of injured, this incident starkly demonstrates the devastating consequences of sudden loss of visibility.
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Sources: Associated Press, Reuters, Bulgarian National Radio, BNT, bTV, BGNES, November 10, 2026.
This article was translated from the original Slovak version with the assistance of AI.
