Zaev: There are Serbian citizens among victims of bus accident in Bulgaria that killed 46 people

Photo: Dimitar KYOSEMARLIEV / AFP / Profimedia

Prime Minister of North Macedonia Zoran Zaev has stated that Serbian citizens are among the victims of a tragic accident that happened in Bulgaria on board a bus from North Macedonia.

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"I am in contact with Prime Minister (of Bulgaria) Stefan Janev... Most victims are citizens of North Macedonia, but there are also citizens of Serbia," said Zaev, MIA is reporting.

He added that he had the opportunity to talk to one of the survivors who told him that a horrific explosion was heard.

"They managed to break one window and save several people. Unfortunately, others did not make it. It is a terrible tragedy because most victims are young people: 12 children are younger than 18, and others are 20 to 30 years old," said Zaev.

MIA is reporting that the bus belonged to the Besa Trans agency and that it was used to transport passengers from an excursion in Istanbul.

The director of the Bulgarian police, Borislav Sarafov, said that the possible causes were "a driver error or an undetermined technical malfunction" inside the vehicle.

Bulgarian Interior Minister Boyko Rashkov said that the protective fence of a highway where the accident happened had been breached and that the fire on board the bus may have broken out as a result of sparks caused by the contact between the vehicle and the fence, local media reported.

At least 46 people were killed, including 12 minors, two of whom were twin brothers.

Seven passengers who were taken to a hospital in Sofia have survived and are now in a stable condition, said an official of the emergency service.

(Telegraf.rs)