DONG NAI: Seven people were killed and five others injured after a sleeper bus caught fire in Hung Thinh Commune, Dong Nai, early Tuesday morning.
According to preliminary information from local authorities, the bus was travelling along National Highway 1 at about 2.30am when it struck a roadside embankment in Hung Thinh Commune.
The bus, driven by 41-year-old Tran Thanh Hai from Khanh Hoa Province, was travelling from Dong Nai to HCM City. It struck another embankment before the driver managed to bring the vehicle to a stop.
A fire reportedly broke out at the front of the bus and spread rapidly through the passenger compartment. There were 33 people on board, including the driver.
While some passengers managed to escape, several others were trapped inside the burning vehicle.
Residents living near the scene rushed to help, using fire extinguishers and other available equipment in an attempt to put out the blaze. However, the flames spread too quickly and engulfed the entire bus.
After receiving an emergency call, authorities dispatched firefighters, rescue personnel and specialised equipment to the scene. Emergency crews extinguished the fire, carried out rescue operations and diverted traffic in the area.
By the time the blaze was brought under control, the bus had been almost completely destroyed.
The Hung Thinh Commune People’s Committee said preliminary reports confirmed that seven people had died.
The injured were taken to Thong Nhat General Hospital for treatment. One person who suffered only minor injuries has since been discharged.
The scene has been cordoned off for forensic examination. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, identifying the victims and verifying the circumstances surrounding the incident.
This was the second serious sleeper bus accident in Vietnam within a week.
On July 17, a sleeper bus returning from Thien Cam beach in Ha Tinh Province to the northern province of Thai Nguyen veered off an expressway in Ha Noi and overturned, killing five people and injuring dozens. — VNS/ANN
