VIDEO | They slept in a trailer near the accident: We watched it burn, but we could not help from the strong fire
Witness to the tragic event on the highway "Struma" is among the first to call the number 112 and report the bus accident. He for Btv reveals details of the tragedy. Ilija Nikolov together with two other colleagues are working at a location 500 meters from the scene of the accident. He and a colleague worked on a landslide near the road and he is among the first to witness the accident. He says they were sleeping in a trailer near the place when they heard a loud sound as if a tire had burst, and then they saw a fire.
They immediately went to the bus, but could not get close and help because, he said, the fire spread very quickly and the high temperature of the flames did not allow them to get close.
"I heard a sound, but I could not understand what it was. My colleague and I went down to the Tower and saw that something was burning in the protective fence. Then we saw the fire gradually intensify from behind. We approached and wanted to help, but there was no way. "It was already very hot, we could not get close to the bus," said the witness.
According to him, there were already people who got off the bus and were in the left lane of the road.
"They spoke an unknown language, I did not understand where they came from. Many drivers stopped and also ran to help the survivors. After 17-18 minutes, the police arrived. When he came, we went upstairs. "As we go down we see pieces of rubber burning," added witness Ilija.
He says it smelled of burnt but did not smell of fuel. Whether the protective fence prevented the back door from opening cannot be recalled because everything happened very quickly and it was very dark.
You can watch the video of Nikolov's statement HERE.
PHOTO + VIDEO | LIVE: All information about the serious traffic accident in Bulgaria