Bus crashes on the highway and catches fire: at least 45 dead, including 12 children

Serious road accident in Bulgaria.

A bus with dozens of people on board that came from Istanbul and headed for Skopje, North Macedonia, crashed into the guardrail on the highway a few kilometers from Sofia.

45 people died in the impact and the subsequent burning, said commissioner Nilolay Nikolov, head of the disaster emergency service, adding that "seven passengers were rescued".

Among the victims also 12 children.

The interim Bulgarian Prime Minister, Stefan Yanev, and the Minister of the Interior, Boyko Rashkov, arrived on the scene. According to local media, the premieres of North Macedonia and Albania are also on their way to the scene of the accident.

"It is a tragedy. We do not know if all the victims are from North Macedonia, but this is what we assume because the bus is registered in the country", commented Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev.

(Unioneonline / D)