The District Court in Pernik, Bulgaria, has ruled that the Bulgarian Road Infrastructure Agency (API) is partially responsible for the 2021 bus accident on the Struma Highway that claimed the lives of 45 North Macedonian citizens. The bus, owned by the company “Besa Trans,” caught fire after a collision.
Court Ruling
The court determined that API holds 10% of the responsibility for the damages and must compensate the plaintiffs with 20,000 leva (approximately €10,200) each for non-material damages. It highlighted that the road section was not approved as an official highway (Act 16) and was classified as a “fast road” with design flaws and inadequate signage for speed restrictions on curves.
Details of the Accident
- The bus was traveling at 106 km/h in a section with a speed limit of 120 km/h.
- The accident occurred on November 23, 2021, when the bus, returning from Istanbul to Skopje, struck a guardrail and burst into flames.
- Of the 52 passengers onboard, 45 lost their lives, while 7 others were injured.
Charges and Penalties
- Bekim Haxhiu, owner of “Besa Trans,” received a 1-year and 8-month prison sentence for document forgery. The company was fined 800,000 denars and banned from passenger transport for four years.
- The victims’ families filed a €750,000 compensation claim against API and the Bulgarian Motor Insurance Association, citing numerous technical irregularities, including faulty road signage, poor-quality asphalt, and inadequate guardrails.
The court acknowledged API’s contribution to the accident due to road infrastructure deficiencies. However, the primary responsibility remains with the bus driver, who also lost his life in the incident.
