Two people died Wednesday when a car and a truck collided at the exit of Gurkovo toward Veliko Tarnovo, initial reports from the scene say. Police got the call around 2pm on September 30.
The crash happened about a kilometre past Gurkovo, on road II-55 through the Republic Pass (Hainboaz). Police and emergency crews rushed to the scene.
The names and ages of the dead have not been released. No other injuries have been reported, and it's not yet clear exactly how the crash happened. Investigators are looking into the cause at the scene.
The road through Hainboaz was closed for a time. Traffic now moves both ways in a single lane at the 54th kilometre, with police directing cars through.
At first, cars were sent on a detour from Gurkovo through Maglizh and Kazanlak, then via the Shipka Pass. Trucks under 12 tons waited near the town.
Road authorities warn of delays and queues while they examine and clear the scene. They're asking drivers in the area to slow down and follow police instructions.
It's the second crash with multiple deaths in Bulgaria within just a few hours. Earlier on September 30, on the Aytos–Dalgopol road near the Zetyovo turn-off, a car hit a concrete mixer truck and three people died. Traffic there was also rerouted while investigators worked the scene.