National Road 28B is currently undergoing upgrades. — VNA/VNS Photo

LÂM ĐỒNG — Police in the south-central province Lâm Đồng said on Monday they are searching for the driver of a construction truck that shed a large rock on National Road 28B earlier this morning, which resulted in a death of a Russian tourist and another passenger injured, before fleeing the scene.

Authorities said the accident occurred at about 9am when a 16-seat tourist van, licence plate 86B-01272 and driven by Trần Cao Minh Tr., was travelling from Lương Sơn toward the popular resort town Đà Lạt with a group of foreign visitors.

As the vehicle approached the Đại Ninh pass, a truck carrying construction materials overtook it. A sizeable rock fell from the truck, crashing through the van’s front windscreen and striking two passengers. One Russian tourist died at the scene, while another was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

Instead of stopping, the truck continued down the road. Local police units swept sections of National Road 28B in an effort to identify the vehicle, but no match has yet been found.

The accident occurred on a stretch of the national highway that is currently being upgraded, with heavy lorry traffic moving materials to and from construction sites. Communal police have worked with hospitals to verify the sequence of events and have summoned all trucks operating on the project for questioning. Investigators are also reviewing surveillance cameras along the route.

By midday, according to the Vietnam News Agency, contractors working on National Road 28B had assembled their drivers for inspection but were still unable to identify any operator suspected of causing the fatal incident.

The case remains under urgent investigation as authorities attempt to locate the truck and determine responsibility. — VNS