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At Least 12 Killed in Bulgaria Motorway Crash
Confirmed
In Short: At least 12 people were killed and dozens injured in a series of crashes on a motorway in southeastern Bulgaria, caused by thick fog.
12 Killed In Massive Bulgaria Highway Pile-Up, 86 Vehicles Involved. The Daily Guardian
Prime Minister Rumen Radev, who was meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, cancelled his official events scheduled for later on Tuesday. President Iliana Yotova also cut short her participation in the Paris Peace Forum and returned to Bulgaria.
The crashes happened in dense fog, reducing visibility and leading to unsuitable speeds for the conditions, which included wet road surfaces. A witness who helped rescue a man from a burning vehicle blamed the thick fog for the pile-up.
A drone captured the scene from above, showing burnt out and crushed vehicles strewn across the motorway. The transport ministry announced rescue operations for the missing had been halted due to strong winds, reduced visibility, and high waves.
Bulgaria recorded the highest road fatality rate in the EU in 2025, with 71 deaths per million inhabitants, according to European Commission figures. The country's parliament adopted stricter penalties for driving under the influence of drugs in 2023.
What this adds
The crashes highlight the ongoing road safety issues in Bulgaria, which has the highest fatality rate in the EU.
Background
At least six people were killed and 16 injured after a gunman opened fire in Krakow's Main Market Square on Saturday.
What's confirmed
- In 2025, Bulgaria recorded 71 road fatalities per million inhabitants, the highest rate in the EU, according to European Commission figures.
- Thick fog on a motorway has caused a string of vehicles to crash into one another, killing at least 12 people and injuring dozens more in eastern Bulgaria, a government minister says.
- Prime Minister Rumen Radev was meeting European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who is on a visit to Bulgaria, and cancelled his official events scheduled for later on Tuesday.
- SOFIA: Thick fog on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria caused two major crashes that killed at least 12 people and injured dozens on Tuesday, a government minister said.
What's still developing
- Motorways in southeastern Bulgaria are ranked among the most dangerous in the European Union.
- Eleven people died and dozens were injured on Tuesday in pileups on both sides of a motorway in southeastern Bulgaria, whose roads rank as the most dangerous in the EU.
- Bulgaria expects to join a NATO anti-drone initiative by the end of October, Defence Minister Dimitar Stoyanov has said, as drone attacks on cargo vessels in the Black Sea intensify concerns over maritime security near the alliance’s southeastern borders.
- War at sea raises risks for NATO’s Black Sea coast The attacks have added to concerns that drone warfare linked to the Russia-Ukraine conflict could threaten commercial vessels operating close to NATO members Bulgaria and Romania.