Bulgaria Declares National Day of Mourning After Deadly 86-Car Highway Pileup Claims 12 Lives

The Council of Ministers of the Republic of Bulgaria has designated November 11 as a national day of mourning following two devastating chain-reaction crashes on the Trakia Highway. Heavy fog near the Zimnitsa interchange in the Yambol region triggered a catastrophic pileup involving 86 vehicles, leaving 11 people dead on the scene (with the total toll reaching 12) and injuring more than 50 others.

Prime Minister Rumen Radev arrived at the scene to express his condolences to the victims' families, assuring them that the state would provide financial compensation. Addressing systemic infrastructure vulnerabilities, Radev announced plans to establish a unified national data center by the end of 2027 to monitor and integrate road safety metrics in real time. He also directed law enforcement and public prosecutors to launch a comprehensive investigation into the disaster.

Bulgarian Minister of Health Katya Ivkova reported that emergency services evacuated 51 injured individuals to medical centers in Sliven, Yambol, and Burgas, with 13 patients listed in critical condition. To expedite medical transport if needed, the Ministry of Defense placed Spartan military transport aircraft and Cougar helicopters on standby.

In response to the scale of the tragedy, the regional governor of Yambol declared a partial state of emergency across the Straldzha, Yambol, and Tundzha municipalities.