Eyewitness: Glass cracks become the only escape route. A Vietnamese Chinese tourist bus overturned, resulting in 4 deaths and 8 injuries to tourists | China | Bus
According to Xinhua News Agency, the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City confirmed on July 18th that a tourist bus carrying 21 Chinese tourists overturned in the central province of Qinghe in Vietnam, resulting in 4 deaths, all of whom are Chinese citizens.
"At present, all efforts are being made to carry out medical treatment work, and the travel agency bears the main responsibility. They will arrange for the direct relatives of relevant tourists to apply for visas to go to Vietnam." On July 19th, a reporter from Chao News called the Chinese Consulate General in Ho Chi Minh City, and the relevant staff said.
"I saw that the bus was traveling very fast, from overturning to colliding with the guardrail in just a few seconds." Witnesses at the accident scene, He Ting, told Chao News that it was raining locally at the time of the accident, and everything happened too fast. She still has lingering fear. Although the accident has been going on for decades, the handling situation and the progress of treating the injured are still touching.
Eyewitness account: The scene was filled with a burnt smell
"Many local people spontaneously rescue"
On the morning of July 19th, a journalist from Chao News contacted a tourist named He Ting who was in Vietnam. The tourist bus that He Ting was riding on at the time of the incident was driving behind the involved bus, so she witnessed the entire accident process.
"At that time, the bus did not collide with other vehicles, but it could be seen that the speed was very fast. After overturning, the bus continued to slide forward for a while and eventually collided with the roadside guardrail." Ms. He said that due to the bus overturning, the crack between the windshield and the body became the only escape route for passengers.
The photo sent by He Ting to Chao News shows that the road in the accident area is a two-way single lane, with steep mountains on both sides of the road. The bus overturned at the foot of the mountain at a 90 degree angle, and the front windshield broke and left the frame in large areas. On the ground were scattered umbrellas, folders, mineral water, and instant noodles.
At the time of the accident, the vehicle of He Ting's tour group happened to pass by the accident site. According to He Ting's description, at the scene, there was a smell of burning around the car, and the road was covered in oil stains. Many people hesitated to come forward for support due to concerns about fire and explosion, waiting in place nearby. However, some passengers in her car got off the car and participated in the rescue.
"I quickly got off the car and rushed to the side of the overturned bus to help organize my passport, as the injured needed it to go to the hospital." He Ting said that many local people participated in the rescue at the accident site. The slightly injured passengers were taken to the hospital in their private cars, while the seriously injured passengers waited in place for the rescue vehicle. "At present, all the injured passengers have been taken to the hospital and their arrangements have been quite good."
According to the video of the accident scene, rescue personnel can only enter the car through the crack in the front windshield to search for injured people. A man in red suffered a minor head injury, and the rescuers were dressing him up. Another woman was carried onto a stretcher by the rescuers.
Most of the injured are over 50 years old
Tourists refer to the location of the accident as "180 bends on a mountain road"
Fan Yuhong, Chairman of the People's Committee of Yongqing County, told Vietnam News Agency that after the accident, traffic police, medical and rescue forces immediately rushed to the scene. The injured person was sent to Qinghe Provincial General Hospital for treatment. The relevant departments are conducting an on-site investigation, investigating the cause of the accident, and dealing with the consequences of the accident.
He Ting told the Chao News reporter that she comes from Shandong, and the tourists on the bus who had an accident, like her, all came from the same travel company, and everyone went on a group trip. "The only difference is that the two cars are not the same group, so they are taken over by different tour guides and buses."
Hangzhou tourist Chen Jia just joined a tour of Dalat and Nha Trang in Vietnam in June today. She told the Chao News reporter that the condition of the national highway QL27C connecting the two places is relatively poor, and the buses are also outdated. "It is often said that there are eighteen turns on the mountain road, but I think this section of the road has 180 turns. From a safety perspective, it is recommended to take a plane directly to Nha Trang for sightseeing."
According to the list released by Vietnamese media, 15 Chinese accident victims were arranged to receive treatment at Qinghe General Hospital, with the youngest being only 18 years old, the oldest being 70 years old, and 10 people over 50 years old.
Vietnam's cities such as Dalat, Ho Chi Minh City, Nha Trang, and Danang are all popular tourist destinations favored by foreign tourists. Dalat is located on a plateau with an altitude of over 1500 meters. It boasts magnificent natural scenery and a fresh and pleasant climate, making it one of the few highland resorts in Vietnam. Nha Trang City is famous for its beaches and diving environment, and is known as the "Little France".
According to the Ctrip price display on July 19th, the participation price for outbound tourism in Vietnam ranges from 4000 to 9000 yuan. Among them, Dalat and Nha Trang are popular tourist cities. Taking Nha Trang as an example, the price of a 5-day, 4-night self-service tour is over 5000 yuan.
Frequent incidents of tour group crashes
The safety issue of overseas travel rings the alarm again
According to the Vietnam News Agency, in Notice No. 668 issued on the afternoon of July 18th, the Prime Minister of the Vietnamese government instructed to promptly resolve the consequences of this particularly serious traffic accident.
The report points out that in order to promptly address the consequences and prevent similar traffic accidents from occurring, the Prime Minister of the government has requested the Chairman of the Qinghe Provincial People's Committee and Director of the Traffic Safety Committee to guide relevant institutions and units, concentrate medical resources, drugs, and medical equipment throughout the province, and provide timely and effective treatment for the injured; Create favorable conditions for families to quickly handle the procedures related to the deceased.
According to media reports by Chao News reporters, there have been two large-scale tourism bus rollover accidents in Vietnam and Thailand within 9 days. According to the official WeChat account "Consular Direct Bus" of the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the afternoon of July 9th, a tourist bus carrying 24 Chinese tourists overturned due to slippery roads on its way from Luo Yong Prefecture to Pattaya. The injured passengers were urgently sent to the local hospital for treatment. As of now, two tourists have been hospitalized for treatment, while the remaining tourists have been discharged and are not in life-threatening condition.
On the morning of July 19th, the reporter contacted Meng Meng, a tourist who was injured in the accident. She comes from Xiamen and is still receiving treatment at a hospital in Thailand. She told the Chao News reporter that it was raining at the time of the accident, and the normally driving bus suddenly became uncontrollable. The driver tightly grasped the steering wheel and repeatedly turned left and right, ultimately causing the bus to overturn. "My mother and I were both trapped under the car and unable to move. The accident caused a 14cm tear in my ankle joint and multiple fractures in my mother's arms, head, and other areas."
Since July, the Consular Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Embassy in Thailand, and the Consulate General of China in Ho Chi Minh City have all issued rainy season reminders. It is necessary to raise risk awareness when traveling, pay attention to road traffic safety, and fasten seat belts when taking tourist buses. In case of traffic accidents, please remain calm, report to the police and contact the embassy and consulate for assistance.
