Passengers flee from a sleeper bus that caught fire on National Highway 1A

At nearly 1:00 p.m. on December 5, a sleeper bus with Lang Son license plate driven by Hoang Viet Hung (41 years old, from Krong Pac district, Dak Lak province) was traveling on National Highway 1A when it suddenly caught fire while passing through Ha Trung town (Thanh Hoa).

"The car caught fire under the cockpit, the fire spread very quickly, the smoke column rose tens of meters high," said witness Truong Phu Quan. He said many passengers were screaming in panic, trying to run away from the fire for fear that the car would explode.

The driver and passersby tried to put out the fire with water but were unsuccessful. Authorities dispatched firefighters to the scene and the fire was brought under control by 2:15 p.m.

The car burned down after the fire. Photo: Lam Son.

The fire did not cause any casualties but burned the car down to its metal frame. Police said there were 12 people on board at the time of the accident, including 10 passengers, the driver and the bus attendant.

National Highway 1A through Ha Trung district is congested for a long time, police are directing traffic and examining the scene to investigate the cause.