One Dead After Passenger Bus Overturns in Gia Lai as Survivor Recalls Terrifying Moments

The bus suddenly lurched, tipped onto its right side and slid along the road, passenger Pham Ngoc Quoc Len said after surviving the crash in Gia Lai.

Len, 28, told doctors he had been using his phone while travelling from Ho Chi Minh City to Gia Lai to visit his family during the holiday break. "I was browsing my phone when I suddenly heard a very loud noise. The whole bus swayed, then overturned to the right and slid for a long distance," he said.

He managed to grab the frame of a sleeper berth before briefly losing consciousness. When he woke, the bus lay on its side and passengers were shouting in panic. Emergency vehicles soon took them to hospital.

The crash occurred at about 3:30 a.m. on the Dak Doa bypass in Hoi Phu Ward. The bus, travelling between Ho Chi Minh City and An Khe, carried one driver, two assistants and 31 passengers. One person died at the scene, and the vehicle suffered heavy damage.

Gia Lai General Hospital and Hung Vuong Gia Lai Hospital treated more than 30 passengers. Hung Vuong received 20 patients, five of whom had serious injuries. The others suffered minor soft-tissue and joint injuries and were discharged after their conditions stabilized. Deputy provincial chairman Nguyen Huu Que visited patients and ordered hospitals to focus staff and resources on treatment. The provincial government offered 10 million dong to the family of the person who died and 5 million dong to each seriously injured victim.

Authorities identified slippery mud carried from the roadside by heavy rain as the initial cause. They said the driver lost control of his speed and steering while negotiating a curve. Testing found no drugs or alcohol in his system.

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I was browsing my phone when I suddenly heard a very loud noise. The whole bus swayed, then overturned to the right and slid for a long distance. By inertia, I could only grab the frame of the sleeper berth.