On the morning of November 10, two massive chain-reaction crashes triggered by heavy fog occurred on Bulgaria's Trakia motorway near the Zimnitsa transport hub. According to preliminary data, a total of over 70 vehicles were involved in the collisions. Twelve people were killed, and another 46 injured victims were rushed to medical facilities. The motorway was completely closed in both directions, and a partial state of emergency was declared in several surrounding municipalities.
Chronicle of Two Collisions
According to information reported by the Bulgarian publication NOVA citing local authorities, both accidents occurred on the stretch between the Zimnitsa and Kabile junctions. The first accident was recorded at kilometer 289 of the highway towards Burgas, and the second at kilometer 294, ahead of the Zimnitsa interchange on the Sofia-bound section. It was on this specific stretch, eyewitnesses reported, that visibility dropped sharply, triggering a chain reaction of collisions between cars and trucks.
Cause: Sudden Drop in Visibility
Acting Secretary General of the Bulgarian Ministry of Interior Lyubomir Nikolov stated that thick fog and a sudden deterioration in visibility were the likely causes of the tragedy. According to eyewitnesses, visibility on the highway rapidly plummeted from 70–80 meters down to 10 meters, making it impossible for drivers to react in time and stop the flow of traffic.
Aftermath and Authorities' Response
Bulgarian Minister of Health Katia Ivkova stated at a briefing that the death toll stands at 12 people: 10 died at the scene, and two injured victims passed away in hospitals. A total of 46 patients were delivered to medical facilities. Due to the extremely severe situation and significant material damage, a partial state of emergency was declared in the municipalities of Straldzha, Tundzha, and Yambol. The Trakia motorway remains closed in both directions, and traffic will resume only after cleanup operations are completed.
Scene of the Disaster
Photos from the scene capture the scale of destruction: among the wreckage is a large container truck bearing the Yang Ming logo, a heavily deformed passenger car, and metal bars, wires, and body parts scattered across the asphalt. Emergency services personnel in high-visibility vests and police officers are working at the site, with the accident area cordoned off by red and white tape. Such a scene is typical of multi-vehicle pileups involving both cars and heavy trucks.
Context
Recall that large-scale road accidents have also been recently recorded on Ukraine's roads: a massive collision between a passenger minibus and a car resulted in injuries in the Khmelnytskyi region, and earlier in the same region, a car carrying teenagers plunged into a river, killing three young people. These cases highlight how critical road safety remains during periods of sharp weather deterioration.
