Sofia [Bulgaria], November 11: Eleven people were killed in two pile-ups involving 86 vehicles in dense fog on the motorway linking Bulgaria's capital Sofia with the Black Sea city of Burgas, Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday.
Radev announced 11 deaths and 48 injuries during a televised press conference with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in Varna. Bulgarian media later reported that 51 people, including a Romanian national, were being treated at several hospitals.
Most of the vehicles involved in the two crashes were lorries, according to officials. The accident site near Yambol in eastern Bulgaria is around 300 kilometres from Sofia. Von der Leyen, who was visiting Bulgaria, expressed her condolences to the victims and their families.
Her programme was cut short because of the large-scale rescue operation, which involved military aircraft and helicopters. A government meeting scheduled for the afternoon in Sofia was also due to be cancelled.
Radev has also called off his attendance at the UN climate conference in the Turkish city of Antalya, public broadcaster BNR reported.
Source: Qatar Tribune