Accident on Khanh Le Pass in heavy rain: Passenger bus buried by rocks and soil, many casualties
An accident on Khanh Le Pass on the evening of November 16 left at least 6 people dead and 19 injured. Rescuers encountered many difficulties due to heavy rain and consecutive landslides.
At around 10:30 p.m. on November 16, on National Highway 27C, km 45 (Khanh Le Pass, Khanh Hoa Province), a 40-seat Phuong Trang passenger van with license plate 59H-53114 was traveling from Da Lat to Nha Trang when it had an accident. A large mass of rock and soil from the positive slope suddenly fell down, pressing hard on the right side of the vehicle, causing the vehicle to be severely deformed.
At the time of the accident, there was prolonged heavy rain in the pass area. Not only at km 45, landslides also appeared at km 43 and km 47, cutting off the route and hindering rescue efforts. Rescue teams had to mobilize a lot of equipment, move slowly and cautiously as rocks and soil continued to fall.
After more than an hour of trying to clear the road, it was not until around midnight on November 17 that the authorities were able to reach the crashed vehicle. The approach was hampered by mud, strong currents, and difficult terrain.
According to Ms. Le Thi Kim Hoa, Chairwoman of Nam Khanh Vinh Commune People’s Committee, the accident left 6 people dead. Three people were taken out of the car that night; the remaining three victims were trapped inside the car.
In addition, 19 injured passengers were urgently transferred to Khanh Hoa General Hospital for treatment.
The preliminary cause was determined to be a traffic accident related to a natural disaster. Prolonged heavy rain caused the slope to collapse onto the road surface at the time the passenger bus passed.
Khanh Hoa province authorities are mobilizing maximum human resources and means to continue searching, removing rocks and soil and restoring traffic safety along the entire route.
