2009 Yambol bus crash

The victims had been walking up the Bakadzhik peak to attend a traditional Ascension Day (Spasovden) feast and fair held on the summit. Around 9:15 AM local time the bus, a Chavdar 11M4 operated by the Yambol transport company MCI Slavi Slavov, crashed into a group of pedestrians while descending from a tour to the Alexander Nevsky Memorial Church located at the summit. Although the bus had been declared roadworthy on 12 May, some speculate that the cause for the accident may have been brake failure. Other factors that contributed to the tragedy were the narrow road, the high speed and the damp asphalt. The driver, 60-year-old Gospodin Gospodinov, was legally sober.[4] The bus driver was heavily injured and transported to Sofia to be treated at Pirogov Hospital.[5]

Most of the victims were over 60 years old, though one victim was a 16-year-old boy. Thirteen of those killed were women and five were men;[3] all victims were either from Yambol or the nearby villages. More than 15 people were injured; four were initially in a life-threatening condition due to head trauma.[5]

29 May was declared a national day of mourning in Bulgaria. Political parties in the country and their leaders cancelled their European Parliament election campaign events in the next few days due to the disaster.[6] The National Assembly of Bulgaria observed a minute of silence as the news broke out.[3] President Georgi Parvanov and Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev changed their schedules and headed to the scene of the accident, their offices said.[7]

Post-crash inspection revealed that the bus had numerous technical deficiencies. Its brakes provided only 23% brake force and nails, wire and a coin were found to have been used to carry out repairs on the bus.[8]

In 2012 bus driver Gospodin Gospodinov and bus owner Slavi Slavov were each sentenced to 10 years in prison. Gospodinov passed away in prison a few months into his sentence while Slavov went into hiding and was captured by police only in January 2018. The workshop that declared the bus roadworthy did not face any legal consequences.[9]

• List of traffic collisions (2000–09)

• Video PRO TV (Romanian)
• Location of the accident on Google Maps