At least 12 killed in Bulgaria motorway pileups

Two fog-related pileups on Bulgaria’s Trakia motorway killed at least 12 people and sent 46 others to medical facilities, Health Minister Katya Ivkova said Tuesday. The crashes occurred on opposite sides of the road near Yambol, prompting authorities to close both directions as rescue operations began.

Ivkova said 10 people died at the scene and two others died while being transported to hospital. The toll was higher than earlier figures reported as the emergency response continued. An earlier account from Prime Minister Rumen Radev put the death toll at 11, while an initial report said at least 10 people had died. The latest ministerial figures did not establish a final toll.

Yambol Regional Governor Georgi Chalakov estimated that about 50 cars and trucks were involved, according to reports of his statement to the Bulgarian News Agency. One earlier report put the number at 86 vehicles. The available reports did not establish a final vehicle count. The number of people taken for treatment also changed as updates emerged: an earlier account reported 27 transported to regional hospitals, while Ivkova later said 46 had been taken to medical facilities.