Six people were killed late on Thursday evening when a car transporting illegal migrants crashed into Lake Vaya near Burgas, Bulgaria, during a police chase.

The vehicle, registered in Romania and driven by a Romanian national, was carrying 10 people at the time of the crash, including the driver.

Chief Commissioner Anton Zlatanov, director of the Bulgarian Border Police, confirmed the fatalities in an interview with broadcaster bTV. “Around 9:20 p.m., a patrol noticed the extremely aggressive and fast driving of the vehicle and tried to stop it. It did not obey,” Zlatanov said. He added that the entire incident unfolded within approximately 34 minutes.

BREAKING:

6 illegal migrants have been killed and 3 wounded after Bulgarian police placed spike strips in front of the car they were travelling in, causing it to flip into a lake.

The police chase took place near the coastal city of Burgas. A total of ten people were in the car… pic.twitter.com/5WaKSehhHu

— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 7, 2025

According to Zlatanov, police had activated a coordinated response protocol designed to minimize risks after previous fatal incidents involving officers in the Burgas region. “We have a procedure in place, especially after the deaths of our colleagues in Burgas three years ago. We have trained both in simulation and in practice,” he said. “In case of disobedience, all patrols — border police, gendarmerie, and regional directorates of the Ministry of Interior — switch to one frequency so that everyone is aware of the situation and can take appropriate containment measures.”

He stressed that the top priority during such operations is public safety. “The main goal they must achieve is to preserve the lives and health of all citizens, all people, and cars that are around and on the road,” Zlatanov said.

The chase continued as the driver ignored repeated police signals to stop, changing direction twice before heading back toward Burgas, where police had set up a double checkpoint. Officers deployed a spiked barrier, but the suspect attempted to avoid it by driving closely behind another car, even making contact with it. “He drove closely behind it, even hitting it from behind once or twice. He wanted to drive closely next to him so that we wouldn’t use the spikes,” Zlatanov explained.

The vehicle subsequently lost control and plunged into Lake Vaya. Six migrants were killed in the crash, while the remaining three passengers and the driver survived and received medical treatment. The surviving migrants told police they were from Afghanistan.

Authorities have launched an investigation into the incident, including how the Romanian driver came to be transporting the group and whether a wider smuggling network was involved.