Vietnamese tour guide killed, 7 South Koreans injured in bus accident

Around 1 p.m., the bus carrying South Korean tourists was traveling on a slope road leading to downtown Phan Thiet, a coastal town in the south central province of Binh Thuan, when the driver lost control of the bus and it plunged about six meters down.

Provincial authorities said seven South Korean passengers, including a child, and the driver who was also a tour guide suffered serious injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment. The driver died at the hospital.

One of the seven South Korean passengers was a child. Photo by VnExpress/Phan Thanh

Police are investigating the accident.

Last month, 11 South Koreans were injured in a bus-truck collision near the Hai Van Tunnel in central Vietnam.

South Koreans are among the biggest groups of visitors to Vietnam, with more than 3.4 million arrivals last year, a 44 percent year-on-year increase, according to the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism.

Road safety has become a serious concern in the country, with almost one person killed every hour in road accidents. More than 18,720 accidents occurred last year, killing 8,244 people and injuring nearly 14,800, according to the National Traffic Safety Committee.