One dies, three injured in car-train crash

NAM ĐỊNH — A woman has died and three people injured after their car crashed into a train on Wednesday morning in the Yên Tiến Commune, Ý Yên District, northern province of Nam Định.

The car reportedly crossed a level-crossing without proper attention and hit a moving train, Vice Chairman of the commune People’s Committee Lã Đình Tiến said.

On the same day, Transport Minister Nguyễn Văn Thể criticised railway officials after a spate of serious accidents.

Out of five railway accidents in late May three were caused by mistakes by railway staff.

The crash between a lorry and passenger bus on the Hà Nội-Bắc Giang National Highway Expressway on May 27 left two people dead and six injured.

Earlier, two trains – ASY2 travelling from HCM City to Hà Nội – and a cargo train running from the opposite direction collided in an entrance section to Núi Thành railway station in central Quảng Nam Province.

The minister strongly criticised Việt Nam Railway Corporation Members’ Council, especially head of the council Vũ Anh Minh and director general Vũ Tá Tùng.

The minister also criticised the Railway Department under the ministry, singling out head of the department Vũ Quang Khôi for not fulfilling his management and inspection responsibilities.

Thể asked Việt Nam Railway Corporation Members’ Council to review and address problems that threaten railway safety.

In the first half of this year, there have been 62 railway accidents, killing 53 people and injuring 28.

During the same period in 2017, there were 48 accidents claiming 41 lives and 26 people were injured. — VNS