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16 dead as bus plows into crowd in Bulgaria (Roundup)
May 28, 2009, 12:22 GMT
Sofia - An old bus with brake problems plowed into a crowd celebrating a religious holiday Thursday in southern Bulgaria, killing 16 people and injuring 20 others, four of them critically.
Police said brakes malfunctioned on the 30-year-old vehicle on a steep road near the town of Yambol, 260 kilometres east of the capital Sofia.
The bus careered out of control and slammed into a crowd celebrating the Christian Orthodox holiday of the Ascension, killing 14, as well as two passengers onboard.
Rescuers brought the injured to the Yambol hospital.
Prime Minister Sergey Stanishev and President Georgi Parvanov were due to visit the scene and the injured, and the authorities declared Friday a national day of mourning for the victims of the crash.
Bulgaria is notorious for poor traffic conditions, poorly- maintained roads and aggressive driving.
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