Five soldiers were killed and another four injured after a vehicle plunged into a chasm in the central province of Quang Nam on December 16.

Nguyen Duc Chi, Head of the provincial Department of Traffic Police, said that the accident happened at 5:00pm at Nam Sau B village, Dak Pre commune, Nam Giang District.

According to the initial information, the vehicle belonged to Bridge 83 of the Ministry of National Defense. The vehicle was transporting border patrol troops to their barracks.

The accident happened just 500 metres from the barracks. The driver apparently lost control of the vehicle and it plunged 10 metres into the chasm.

Three people died at the scene, while two others succumb to injuries while being transported to hospital. The driver survived and is being treated for injuries, as are three other soldiers.

An investigation is underway.

In the northern province of Quang Ninh, a passenger bus collided with a container truck, killing six people and injuring 12 also on December 16. Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has asked local authorities to determine the cause of the collision.