Another reason not to use local buses: 1 killed, 20 injured

One man died and 20 passengers were injured when a bus carrying guests to a wedding plunged into a paddy field and flipped over in central VietNam early today.


The accident happened at about 05.00H, witnessed said. The bus, with 35 passengers, was traveling in Quan Nghi Loc, Nghe An Province when it swerved off the road and fell 5 metres into the field below.

TRIEU Thi Ha was slightly hurt in the accident said she was sleeping when someone screamed and then the bus overturned. "Moments later, people and luggage just piled upon one another."

TRAN Xuan Phung, one of the first local residents to come to the site, said he saw some passengers were trying to climb out of the bus. Ambulances rushed the injured passengers to the 115 Nghe An Hospital.

One male passenger, HOANG Van Que, 22, died in the accident.

"We tried very hard to bring Que out of the bus, but he was already dead," Phung said. TRAN Dinh Thong, deputy chief of Quan Nghi Loc police, said the initial investigation showed that the driver may have lost control of the bus.

Driver NGUYEN Van Canh, who injured in his arm, is in police custody pending investigation, Thong said. A source from the 115 Nghe An Hospital said the hospital received 20 people injured in the accident. Many of them have broken arms or legs, but none is in critical condition.

The passengers departed last night from the northern border Lang Son Province for their friend's wedding in Nghe An's Quan Do Luong today.

Buses are required by law to use event recorders but many are disconnected.