A terrible tragic accident in Bulgaria... 46 people were killed, including 12 minors

At least 46 people, including 12 minors, died in Bulgaria in a bus accident that caught fire on a highway, one of the most serious accidents in Europe in the last decade.

Most of the victims are from North Macedonia, where the bus is registered, according to North Macedonian Prime Minister Zoran Zaev, who immediately went to Sofia to check on the seven survivors at the hospital.

Zaif pointed out that the passengers were from ethnic minorities, in addition to a Belgian and Serbian who died in the accident.

"This is a tragedy," he said, adding: "12 of them were under 18 years old, including five children," and the others were between 20 and 30 years old.

North Macedonia declared three days of national mourning.

The horrific accident occurred around 2:00 am (midnight GMT) on a highway near the town of Bosnik, 40 kilometers south of the capital Sofia, said Commissioner Nikolai Nikolov, in charge of disaster management, in a statement broadcast on state television "BNT".

And the bus hit a barrier for an unknown reason until now.

This road saw development works a short time ago thanks to funding from the European Union and Bulgaria, a member of which since 2007.

North Macedonia Health Minister Funko Philips said that the seven survivors are from the same family, including a 16-year-old girl, and their condition is stable.

"The survivors are in shock after they jumped out of the windows," said Maya Argyrova, director of the center for the treatment of severe burns, to where the survivors were taken.

"The driver died on the spot and no one was able to open the doors because of the flames," National Police Chief Stanimir Stanev said on a television station.

Television footage showed the black chassis of the bus, which crashed violently into the railings before igniting.

"The scene is frightening," said Bulgarian Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov, who arrived early at the scene, adding, "I've never seen anything like this before," noting that identifying the bodies would be difficult.

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