The bus is completely destroyed by the fire. — Photo courtesy of Đồng Nai City's authority

ĐỒNG NAI — Seven people were killed and five others injured after a passenger coach caught fire in Hưng Thịnh Commune of the southern city Đồng Nai early Tuesday morning.

According to initial information from local authorities, at approximately 2.30am, a sleeper bus – driven by 41-year-old Trần Thanh Hải from Khánh Hoà Province – was traveling on National Highway 1 through Hưng Thịnh Commune, en route from Đồng Nai City to HCM City when it crashed into the slope on the road.

The bus continued to crash into another slope before the driver managed to stop the vehicle.

The fire then reportedly broke out from the front and spread through the passenger compartment. There were 33 people on board at the time, including the driver.

While some managed to escape, several others became trapped inside the burning vehicle.

Residents living near the scene rushed to help, bringing fire extinguishers and other available equipment in an attempt to put out the blaze, the flames spread too quickly and engulfed the entire coach.

After receiving the emergency call, authorities in Đồng Nai City dispatched firefighters, rescue personnel and specialised equipment to the scene. Emergency crews extinguished the fire, carried out rescue operations and diverted traffic in the area.

By the time the blaze was brought under control, the coach had been almost completely destroyed.

The Hưng Thịnh Commune People's Committee said preliminary reports confirmed that seven people had died in the fire.

The injured victims were rushed to Thống Nhất General Hospital treatment and one with only minor injuries has been discharged.

The scene has been cordoned off for forensic examination. Authorities are investigating the cause of the fire, working to identify the victims and verify other circumstances surrounding the incident.

This is the second particularly serious incident involving a sleeper bus happening within a week. On July 17, while returning from a trip to Thiên Cầm beach (Hà Tĩnh Province) to Thái Nguyên Province in northern Việt Nam, a sleeper bus veered off the expressway in Hà Nội and overturned, killing five and injuring scores of people.— VNS