Bulgaria declares national day of mourning after massive Trakia highway crashes kill at least 11

At least 11 people have died and dozens were injured following two near-simultaneous chain-reaction collisions involving up to 86 vehicles on Bulgaria's Trakia highway connecting Sofia and Burgas.

The pile-up occurred in heavy fog on Tuesday morning, prompting local authorities to declare a partial state of emergency. Bulgarian officials described the incident as a "tragedy" and announced a national day of mourning. Media reports varied slightly on the scope of the disaster, citing between 11 and 12 fatalities and between 70 and 86 vehicles involved, including cars, trucks, and a bus.

Romania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that a Romanian citizen was among those hospitalized following the accident. Emergency services remain on site conducting recovery operations and investigating the cause.

Sources: Adevărul, Digi24, HotNews, Moldova1, Ziarul de Gardă