The bus, after being flipped back upright, shows significant damage to the front. — Photo laodong.vn

PHÚ YÊN —The driver of the bus that overturned in Phú Yên Province on Saturday, killing three people and injuring many others, did not have the required license to operate the vehicle, local police reported.

The 54-seat bus, carrying 30 passengers, was travelling from Đà Nẵng to Đà Lạt when it collided with a highway divider and overturned.

Driver Phạm Quốc Huy, 40, a resident of Ayun Pa Town, Gia Lai Province, admitted to possessing only a Class-C license, which is insufficient for operating a bus of this size. Under Vietnamese traffic law, vehicles with more than 30 seats require a Class-E license.

Police confirmed that rapid drug and alcohol tests conducted on the driver returned negative results.

The three victims of the crash were identified as Trần Thị Song Thương, 22, from Quảng Nam Province; Trần Công Anh, 24, from Đà Nẵng City; and Đỗ Thị Kim Chi, 34, from Lâm Đồng Province.

Authorities reported that the accident caused severe damage to the bus, destroyed a traffic sign, and dislodged more than 20 metres of the highway divider.

Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính extended condolences to the victims’ families and called for urgent medical treatment for the injured. He also instructed local authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into both the direct and indirect causes of the accident. — VNS