// BBC WORLD NEWS — MONDO
Twelve dead after motorway pile-ups in Bulgaria fog
Burnt out and crushed vehicles were strew across the motorway in the aftermath of the crash
Twelve people have been killed after dozens of cars and lorries were involved in two pile-ups on the Trakia motorway in south-eastern Bulgaria, Prime Minister Rumen Radev has said.
Health Minister Katya Ivkova said 11 people died at the scene on Tuesday, near the town of Zimnitsa, while another person later died in hospital. About 50 others were taken to hospital with injuries.
Sliven regional governor Mihail Kasherov told journalists that more than 70 vehicles were involved in the incident, Bulgarian state news agency BTA reported.
Officials have said dense fog reduced visibility and was the likely cause of the first crash, which occurred on the eastbound carriageway.
Radev declared Wednesday a day of national mourning following the incident.
The second crash, on the Sofia-bound carriageway, was likely also caused by the fog, with drivers also distracted by the first crash, BTA reported an official as saying.
The Trakia motorway runs from west-to-east of Bulgaria, and connects the capital Sofia to the Black Sea coast.
Road administration director Galin Kostov added that speeds were unsuitable for the conditions, which included wet road surfaces, and the motorway would remain closed until it had been cleared, BTA reported.
Yambol regional governor Georgi Chalakov said reports first came in at 07:10 local time (05:10 GMT), with the injured taken by ambulance to hospitals in the Yambol, Sliven and Burgas regions.