At least 46 people were killed in a bus accident in Bulgaria.
The bus overturned and went up in flames.
There are survivors.
Sofia - Numerous people were killed in a serious bus accident in Bulgaria.
According to a report by the official BTA news agency, there are at least 46 deaths.
The accident occurred on Tuesday night on the Struma motorway about 40 kilometers south of the capital Sofia, as BTA reported, citing the Ministry of the Interior.
According to information from the broadcaster bTV, twelve children are said to have been among the victims.
Several injured were taken to a hospital in Sofia.
Seven passengers could have been rescued from the wreck alive, said Police Commissioner Nikolai Nikolov.
Bus accident in Bulgaria: bus overturns and goes up in flames
According to the report, the bus had rammed a guardrail shortly after 2 a.m. (3 a.m. CET) for reasons that remained unexplained and then rolled over.
According to initial findings, there were so few survivors because the bus was on fire.
It was initially unclear whether he had caught fire before the accident or if he rolled over and then went up in flames.
A total of around 50 passengers and two drivers were on the bus, reported the state radio with reference to the police.
According to the BTA, the bus was registered in Skopje, came to Bulgaria from Turkey and was on its way to North Macedonia.
According to Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, the bus had a North Macedonian license plate.
"We do not know if all the victims are from North Macedonia, but we accept it," Zaev told Nova TV.
Bus accident in Bulgaria: investigations are ongoing
The attorney general's office started an investigation into the cause of the accident.
Bulgaria's interim Prime Minister Stefan Janew contacted the North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev by phone.
Janew also wanted to go to the scene of the accident.
There was also a tragic accident recently in Bavaria.
(ck / dpa / afp)