Fatal bus crash in Gia Lai involved road not yet open to traffic

A passenger bus that overturned in Gia Lai, killing one person, was traveling on a bypass that authorities had not yet opened for public use.

The crash occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on Aug. 31, when sleeper bus 50E-449.17, running from Ho Chi Minh City to An Khe, lost control on the eastern bypass linking the Ho Chi Minh Highway with National Highway 19. The bus ran onto the roadside and overturned. Thirty-four people were aboard, including 31 passengers. Several people were injured, and the vehicle suffered heavy damage.

The 12.6-kilometer road had completed basic acceptance procedures, but the formal handover to Gia Lai province was still being completed, the project management board said. Vehicles had not been authorized to use the route. Because it had not officially entered service, provincial traffic police had not begun patrols, traffic control or enforcement there.

Authorities said some drivers had nevertheless chosen to use the road. Heavy rain was falling when the crash occurred, and red soil from the roadside had spread across the pavement, making it slippery. Officials said the bus appeared to have been traveling at high speed before losing control at a bend.

The bus was first registered on Dec. 11, 2025, and was manufactured in Vietnam that year. It had a service life extending to 2045. Driver Nguyen Canh Ha Long held a category D license issued on July 1, 2025, and valid until July 1, 2030. Authorities are continuing to clarify the cause of the crash.