A serious tram accident occurred early this morning in Sofia, near the Romanian Embassy. Around 5 a.m., a tram from line 22 derailed, overturned, and plowed into an underpass, which was left almost entirely destroyed. The incident also damaged at least seven parked cars, with reports suggesting that a bus may have also been hit. Fortunately, there were no passengers on board at the time, and no pedestrians were inside the underpass when it collapsed, preventing casualties.

According to initial information, the tram was left unattended after its conductor stepped away for a short break. At that point, the vehicle began to move on its own, dragging along the tracks for roughly 100 meters before it derailed at the turn toward Sitnyakovo Boulevard, overturned, struck a pole, and ultimately crashed into the underpass on Tsar Ivan Asen Street. Emergency services, including ambulances, police, and fire units, quickly arrived on site, while traffic in the area remains heavily disrupted.

The Sofia police are investigating the cause of the accident, with surveillance footage from the tram currently under review. One version being checked is that unknown individuals, possibly youths, entered the tram and set it in motion while the driver was absent, BNR reported. However, this theory has not been confirmed. Officials from the city’s Emergency Operations Unit reported that the tram was not driven by its driver at the time of the incident. They emphasized the scale of the destruction, noting that three walls of the underpass were completely demolished, and multiple vehicles sustained severe damage.

Authorities continue to examine available footage to determine who, if anyone, boarded and operated the tram before the crash. For now, the circumstances remain unclear, though officials stress that while the damage is substantial, it is fortunate no lives were lost.