12 PEOPLE KILLED IN MULTI-VEHICLE PILE-UP

SOFIA, NOVEMBER 10 /SRNA/ – At least 12 people have been killed and dozens injured in two major pile-ups amid dense fog on a motorway in eastern Bulgaria, Bulgarian Health Minister Katya Ivkova said.

She said that the Sofia - Burgas motorway on the Black Sea coast had been closed in both directions.

Ivkova added that ten people had died at the scene, while two others died while being transported to hospital. A total of 46 people were taken to medical facilities.

A total of 86 vehicles were involved in the collisions, including a large number of heavy goods vehicles. The accidents occurred on opposite carriageways at the same location at around 7:00 a.m. today, the Associated Press reported.

Regional Governor Mihail Kasherov told press at the scene that the situation was indescribable and that he had never witnessed anything like it.

Police have launched an investigation and said that preliminary assessments point to "reduced visibility caused by the rapid formation of dense fog, wet road surfaces and speeds that were not appropriate for the road conditions".