Sleeper bus fire kills 7, injures 5 in southern Vietnam

According to preliminary information, the accident occurred at around 2:00 am, when the sleeper bus was traveling from Dau Giay toward Bien Hoa on National Highway 1.

The vehicle reportedly crashed into a guardrail on the right side of the road near the Song Thao T-junction in Hung Thinh Commune, Dong Nai City.

The impact generated sparks that ignited the fuel tank, causing the bus to burst into flames.

The entrance and exit door also caught fire, leaving passengers unable to escape in time.

Firefighters and other emergency responders were dispatched to the scene shortly after receiving the report and worked to extinguish the blaze.

However, the fire spread rapidly, leaving the vehicle completely burned out, with only its frame remaining.

The driver was identified as Tran Thanh Hai, 41, from Khanh Hoa Province, south-central Vietnam.

According to the preliminary investigation, the driver allegedly fell asleep at the wheel, causing the vehicle to veer into the roadside guardrail.

Authorities said the driver tested negative for drugs and alcohol.

Meanwhile, Dong Nai General Hospital said it is treating two victims injured in the incident.

At around 4:30 am on the same day, the hospital's emergency department received two patients transferred from Trang Bom Regional Medical Center.

Both patients were conscious and responsive, with stable vital signs and no fever or breathing difficulties, and were initially diagnosed with burns.

Authorities are continuing to investigate the cause of the accident.