Two Ukrainian brothers who were on the bus that caught fire near Maslarevo helped people get out through a broken window, one of them has said.
The crash happened at about 2:30am on Wednesday, 28 October, on the road between Strahilovo and Maslarevo. Police say two lorries, one of them Bulgarian, collided first and caught fire. A bus carrying 38 passengers then ploughed into them and also burst into flames.
What happened before: Two lorries and a bus carrying 38 passengers burn near Veliko Tarnovo, road closed
Both lorry drivers died, and some passengers were hurt.
The bus was on the intercity route from Bucharest to Sofia, which a local partner runs for FlixBus.
Footage from the first minutes after the crash shows flames, panic and dozens of people around the bus.
The Ukrainian man says only he and his brother helped the passengers. He says the bus was going too fast, though he does not know how fast, and the road was very slippery. He saw the driver using his phone and believes that is why the driver failed to react and stop. Another passenger called police before the crash to report that the driver was on the phone.
The passenger did not see where the driver went after the impact. His brother says the driver just sat there.
One brother lost all his luggage and his documents in the fire. After the crash the two bought their own train tickets to Sofia. Nobody helped them, the passenger says. He says the company that owns the bus has not contacted the passengers and has only sent him an email asking him to get in touch with it.
In an official statement, FlixBus says it is deeply saddened and its thoughts are with the families of the dead drivers, the injured and everyone affected. The company says it will look carefully and responsibly at every complaint from passengers. "At this stage we are not in a position to draw conclusions about the causes of the incident or any possible liability."
FlixBus says it is working closely with local authorities and the transport partner and is fully helping the investigation. It says the safety of passengers and drivers is its top priority. "We are in direct contact with the affected passengers and are supporting them, including with alternative transport, help with luggage and refunds of ticket prices," the company adds. It is also helping passengers with other claims.
The main theories for the crash are speed too high for the conditions and a wet road. Experts have been appointed to examine the vehicles, and police are also checking whether the Bulgarian lorry had missed its technical inspection.
The stretch has a fairly steep slope and a slight bend, said Yordan Mateev of the road infrastructure agency's office in Veliko Tarnovo. Overtaking is banned there, and there is a speed limit that drivers must obey.