Đà Nẵng — One person died and another was seriously wounded after a tanker truck suddenly lost control and rolled down the valley off Hải Vân Pass, police have said.

The Phú Lộc traffic police have identified the deceased as Lâm Văn Thơ, 50, of Quảng Nam Province and the injured man as Nguyễn Trọng Nghĩa, 38, of Đà Nẵng.

Thơ died after being thrown out of the truck’s cabin while Nghĩa was found in it.

Phan Bảo Trung, head of the station, said on Wednesday the truck (plate number 43C.078.51 from Đà Nẵng) was traveling from Huế to Đà Nẵng when it veered off the road and plunged about 200 metres down into the valley.

He said the accident occurred around 7.30am on a downhill section of the Hải Vân Pass in Lăng Cô Town, Thừa Thiên-Huế  Province.

He said the truck could have unloaded in Thừa Thiên-Huế Province earlier, as its tank was empty, but investigators are yet to decide who the driver was.  

The cabin of the truck was completely damaged in the accident, which is being investigated further.

It’s the second accident occurred on the 24km long zigzagging pass that connects Thừa Thiên-Huế with Đà Nẵng.

The pass, which is 500m above sea level, is a favourite site for off-road and adventure tours.  

In March, a tanker truck carrying 17 tonnes of liquid gas overturned on road as it was going downhill on the Hải Vân Pass.

Hải Vân Pass, which is located on National Highway No 1A, is the only road allowing tankers or road adventurers to travel between Đà Nẵng and Thừa Thiên-Huế since the 6-km Hải Vân tunnel became operational in 2005. — VNS