At least 11 people were killed and 50 injured in a multiple-vehicle collision on a motorway in south-eastern Bulgaria on Tuesday, amid dense fog.

Around 50 vehicles were involved in the devastating pile-up, with collisions occurring on both sides of the motorway.

According to Bulgaria’s BTA news agency, citing Yambol regional governor Georgi Chalakov, the death toll currently stands at at least 11.

Drone footage reveals the horrifying scale of the tragedy on Bulgaria’s Trakia Motorway. Over 50 vehicles, including cars and trucks, were involved in the massive pile-up, leaving at least 12 people dead and dozens injured. One of Bulgaria’s deadliest road disasters. 😭 https://t.co/NfyVJyGotH

— една българка (@transbulgaria) November 10, 2026

Emergency services, including police officers, firefighters and ambulances, rushed to the scene to free people trapped in the wreckage and transport the injured to hospital.

Footage and photographs broadcast by local media show cars and lorries piled on top of one another, severely damaged vehicles, others overturned and several that had veered off the road.

😱 No, this isn’t footage from a post-apocalyptic movie — it’s a massive highway pileup in Bulgaria More than 50 vehicles collided on a highway near the city of Yambol due to thick fog. According to preliminary reports, at least 10 people were killed and dozens injured. The highway was littered with debris, and several vehicles caught fire. One driver said he miraculously escaped his vehicle. Another smashed the window of a burning car and pulled a person to safety. “Everything happened very quickly. So many people died here. A man died right behind me. There were four trucks behind me. Thank God I’m still alive,” one witness recalled.

— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) November 10, 2026

Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev described the accident as a “tragedy” in a statement issued during a visit to the country by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He said he had ordered the injured to be evacuated by aircraft and planned to visit the site of the disaster.

We are also making €10 million in EU funds available to Bulgaria, for search and rescue operations. This is EU solidarity in action. https://t.co/bI3zx79gkT

— Ursula von der Leyen (@vonderleyen) November 10, 2026

Von der Leyen, meanwhile, announced that she would cut short her visit. “I would like to express my heartfelt condolences and my respect for the rescue teams,” she said.

Chief Inspector Todor Mishinev of the Interior Ministry’s Yambol Regional Directorate told Nova TV that some passengers remained trapped inside their vehicles, with rescue operations continuing at full intensity.

“At the moment, the priority is rescue operations. Once these have been completed, the necessary procedures and investigations into the circumstances of the accident will follow,” he said.

According to BTA, a total of 50 injured people have been taken to hospitals across the wider region, while authorities continue efforts to free those trapped in the wreckage and establish the precise circumstances of the deadly pile-up. Reuters+1