1 dead, 5 injured as train hits car with pilgrims in northern Vietnam

By Giang Chinh, Nguyen Hai February 4, 2017 | 04:00 am PT

A scene from the site of the accident in the northern province of Nam Dinh on February 4, 2017. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Ha

There was no barrier at the level crossing to stop the car - only a warning signal.

One driver was killed and five pilgrims were seriously injured on Saturday afternoon when their car collided with a train in the northern province of Nam Dinh.

The car carried 14 passengers from the mountainous province of Yen Bai. They were headed to a Lunar New Year festival in Phu Giay, a holy site in Nam Dinh Province.

The accident happened at around 3:30 p.m. when the 16-seater car tried to cross the railroad in Vu Ban District just as the Hanoi-Saigon train was approaching.

The injured were promptly sent to a local hospital for treatment.

There was no barrier at the level crossing to stop the car - only a warning signal.

According to statistics from the National Traffic Safety Committee, about 300 railroad incidents occurred across the country in the first 10 months of 2016. Among those, 291 cases happened at level crossings, illustrating the safety risks for pedestrians and vehicles using them.

A report by the Vietnam Railway Company showed that there are 5,793 level crossing points across the country. Out of those, 1,514 are roads, but only 641 have guards stationed at them, 366 have automatic alarms and 507 have warning signs. The remaining 4,279 are pedestrian crossings.

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