Three killed, 19 injured in coach accident in Kon Tum Province

June 18, 2018 | 12:29

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Money from the road maintenance fund will be used to ensure traffic safety on Lo Xo mountain pass on Ho Chi Minh Road, said the Ministry of Transport following an accident that killed three and seriously injured 19 others in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

three killed 19 injured in coach accident in kon tum province

Doctors at Kon Tum General Hospital treat victims of the traffic accident that occurred in Lo Xo Pass in the Central Highlands Province of Kon Tum.-VNA/VNS Photo Cao Nguyên

The accident happened when a coach carrying 44 people bound for the southern province of Bình Phước fell off the road into a 20m deep abyss early Saturday morning. The dead included two 10-year-old children.

The injured victims are being treated at Kon Tum hospital.

According to Kon Tum’s traffic safety committee, the bus was operated by a company in the northern province of Hai Duong. It lost control and plunged into the abyss at about 2:15 am. By 6 am, rescue forces got all the victims out of the vehicle and took them to a local clinic for first aid.

Investigation into the accident’s cause is underway.

Chairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee - Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh has conveyed his sympathy to the victims and their families and sent a team led by the committee’s Vice Chairman Khuất Việt Hùng to the site.

Deputy Minister of Transport Le Dinh Tho yesterday inspected 27 kilometres of the Lo Xo pass.

Accidents often occur on the section of Ho Chi Minh Road – a key connection of the Central Highlands region with Da Nang City.

“We will spend the road maintenance funds to work on comprehensive solutions for traffic safety on the pass first,” Thọ said, adding that first solutions included installing more bars to slow speed, signals and traffic barriers.

Turning points on the pass would be widened, he said, noting that there should be more rest stops for drivers.

The 27km Lo Xo Pass runs through Kon Tum Province. On March 1, a serious accident occurred, killing one person and injuring dozens of others.

VNA

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