The bus is heavily damaged

According Chairman of Tuy Phong District People's Committee, Huynh Van Dien, the accident occurred at 9am when the SE27 train which was running from Danang to Ho Chi Minh City hit a 16-seated bus at a crossing in Tuy Phong District.

"The bus was strongly hit and fell into a rice field 200 metres away from the railway," Dien said.

"There were four people on the bus and three of them including the driver died on the spot. The other passenger also died while being taken to hospital. All three the passengers aged between 10-21 were local people." 

Initial investigations from police showed that the bus driver failed to notice the arriving train when crossing the railway, which led to the tragic accident," Dien added. "There was only a notice signboard at this crossing but no lights, fence or staff."

There are many crossings on the north-south railway in Vietnam most of them illegally opened by local people and are not equipped with lights, or fences or staff.

Local authorities have faced lots of difficulties in closing these crossings which are among the main causes of train accidents. Dtinews