Three dead, three injured in Hanoi, HCMC traffic mishaps

An accident occured in Hanoi on January 6 killing two and injuring two others. Photo acquired by VnExpress

A five-seater Ford on the way to Thanh Oai District south of Hanoi center hit a taxi which was turning around and then crashed into three motorbikes which were going in the same direction.

Two of the four people on the motorbikes that were hit died on the way to the hospital. The deceased were a husband and wife, local authorities said. The other two are being treated at the local hospital.

The back of the taxi was distorted after the impact. Photo acquired by VnExpress

In another accident in HCMC the same afternoon, a truck fell on three people on two motorbikes on route 22 from HCMC to the northwest province of Tay Ninh, killing one person immediately.

The other two victims were seriously injured and are being treated at a nearby hospital. All three victims are relatives.

A truck fell on two motorbikes killing one person and injuring two others. Screenshot taken from a video acquired by VnExpress

The accident happened as the truck crossed the An Ha Bridge in Cu Chi District. The driver slammed the brake as he saw the motorbike drivers crossing, causing the truck to fall.

Local authorities had to use the crane to lift up the truck, which was carrying sand, to retrieve one crushed body. The two motorbikes were also crushed.

Local authorities use a crane to lift up the fallen truck. Photo by VnExpress/Son Hoa

Local residents said that motorbike drivers often cross the road at this area to save time. Five motorbikes were crossing the road at the time of the accident but only the first two motorbikes were hit.

The accident caused a traffic jam two kilometers long on the route.

Road crashes are a leading cause of deaths in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee. The country targets reducing road accident deaths to below 20 a day, or 7,300 a year.