At least nine people were killed and nine other were injured when a 29-seat passenger coach overturned in the northern mountainous province of Lao Cai on December 27 morning.
The accident happened at around 7:40 on a road which connects National Highway 32 with Provincial Road 174 in Phinh Ho commune.
The coach carrying people on a charity trip was traveling from Hanh Phuc hamlet to Tang Ghenh hamlet when it overturned at the foot of a slope, leaving the vehicle severely damaged.
Hoang Anh Tuan, Chairman of the Phinh Ho Commune People’s Committee, said there were 19 people on the coach. The section of road where the accident occurred features a long downhill slope. The coach may have lost its brakes before overturning.
Police, military, health and construction forces, along with local authorities, were promptly deployed to coordinate traffic diversion, rush the injured to hospitals for emergency treatment, and support the families of those killed and injured. Rescue teams managed to pull around 10 people from the vehicle, while additional forces, equipment and machinery were mobilised to free the remaining victims.
Lao Cai province has also directed relevant units to organise visits, express condolences, offer encouragement and provide timely support to the victims’ families. At the same time, the provincial authorities continue to closely monitor developments, focus maximum efforts on treating the injured, and address the aftermath of the accident.
Authorities are verifying and clarifying the cause of the accident.
