Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has urged authorities in Gia Lai, Dak Lak, Lai Chau and Cao Bang to take prompt measures and investigate the series of accidents that occurred in these provinces on Friday that killed at least 13 people.

Youths in HCM City take part in a walking day to promote traffic safety. —Photo hanoimoi.com.vn

The deputy prime minister has asked police in the four provinces to probe the causes of these accidents and prosecute violators, if necessary, in addition to increasing inspections, especially with the approaching Lunar New Year.

Five people were killed in a truck accident in the northern Lai Chau Province's Than Uyen District.

The accident took place on Friday at around 16:40 when the driver of the truck, which was transporting four passengers, lost control, causing the vehicle to veer off the road into a 10m-deep abyss.

While four occupants of the truck were killed instantly, the fifth was rushed to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead a short time later.

In Gia Lai province, two people were killed and 10 others injured after a small tractor carrying 12 people experienced a brake failure en route to their farm. The tractor crashed into a water drainage canal.

Furthermore, in Ha Quang District, Cao Bang Province, a car travelling towards Cao Bang-Ha Quang collided with a motorbike heading in the opposite direction. The mishap killed three persons on the motorbike.

Another accident on Friday killed three persons on a motorbike in Dak Lak province after it collided with a gasoline-carrying truck travelling towards Buon Ma Thuot-Nha Trang.

In related news, more than 4,000 people joined a walk in support of traffic safety in HCM City on Saturday.

The event was co-organised by the National Committee for Traffic Safety and the Viet Nam Federation of UNESCO Associations.

This was the first in a series of activities of the Commit Viet Nam project to increase public awareness of adopting a civilised lifestyle and to improve the image of the country.

Vice Chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety, Khuat Viet Hung, said that Viet Nam witnesses a high number of fatalities in accidents, primarily due to the poor awareness about safety by commuters.

According to the Ministry of Transport, there were 25,322 traffic accidents nationwide last year, which led to the death of nearly 9,000 people and injured more than 24,400 others. 

VNS