Truck-bus collision kills 13 in northern Vietnam

By VnExpress   September 14, 2018 | 09:36 pm PT
13 people died and three others were severely injured as a truck-bus crash threw both vehicles off a highway in Lai Chau Saturday.
People join rescue operation down a stream in Lai Chau, where two vehicles plunged down after a deadly crash Saturday. Photo by Son Duong

People join rescue operation down a stream in Lai Chau, where two vehicles plunged down after a deadly crash Saturday. Photo by Son Duong

The accident occurred at 10 a.m. on National Highway 4D in Tam Duong District in Lai Chau Province, around 400 kilometers to the northwest of Hanoi, when a contrainer truck hit the back of a minibus while driving down a pass.

Both vehicles were thrown into a swallow yet rocky stream six meters off the road.

12 people, including both drivers, were killed on the spot and a child died on the way to the hospital. The other three sustained major injuries and have been taken to hospital for treatment, said Giang A Tinh, vice chairman of Lai Chau. The bus driver was among the dead, local media reported. 

One of them suffered brain injuries and the others bone ruptures.

Medical personnel and police forces have been rushed to the accident site to carry out rescue operation.

Medical personnel and police rush to the site of the crash. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Quan

Medical personnel and police rush to the site of the crash. Photo by VnExpress/Duc Quan

Initial investigation found the truck was driving at 109 kilometers per hour, far beyond the speed limit of 60 kph for the road section. Police are investigating further.

Road crashes are a leading cause of deaths in Vietnam, killing almost one person every hour.

Last July, another severe crash was reported in the central province of Quang Nam when a container truck collided with a minibus heading for a wedding ceremony, killing 13 people including the groom.

 
 
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