Bus crashes, catches fire in Bulgaria; at least 45 dead

By VESELIN TOSHKOV and STEPHEN McGRATH
Associated Press

SOFIA, Bulgaria (AP) — Authorities say a bus carrying tourists back to North Macedonia crashed and caught fire in western Bulgaria, killing at least 45 people, including a dozen children. The bus apparently ripped through a guardrail on a highway early Tuesday, though authorities have said the cause is still under investigation. Photos taken shortly after the crash showed the vehicle engulfed in flames as plumes of thick, black smoke rose. Daylight revealed a burned-out shell with all of its windows blown out. Seven survivors were taken to hospitals of the 52 people on the bus at the time. The crash happened as a group of buses was returning from a trip to Turkey.