HÀ NỘI — Vietnam Railways (VNR) recently imposed sanctions on and fired more than 10 directors and officers after consecutive train accidents last month, reported the Vietnam News Agency.

In a severe accident on May 24 between a train numbered SE19 and a truck in Tĩnh Gia District in the central province of Thanh Hóa, Thanh Hóa Railways Company sentenced its deputy director, Nguyễn Văn Minh, and dismissed Lê Nhân Bảo, head of Hoàng Mai barriers keeper team, and Đào Khánh Thiện, head of the No 5 railway management department.

The company has also decided to prolong the pay raise periods of three other officers.

Two persons were killed, and eight others were injured in the accident. 

“Whether these sentences will be aggravated or mitigated depends on the conclusion of the police investigation into the case,” said Vũ Anh Mình, head of VNR Members’ Council.

Regarding the collision between two rail freights at the Núi Thành station in Quảng Nam province on May 26, seven officers were sentenced to imprisonment, including station head Dương Văn Minh and freight driver Dương Trần Chí Hiếu, who were also suspended.

Another accident on May 26 at the Yên Xuân station in Nghệ An province, in which a train was derailed, forced VNR to reduce the pay of two officers.

At a meeting of the VNR Disciplinary Council, VNR director Vũ Tá Tùng and deputy director Đoàn Duy Hoạch volunteered to receive strong sentences. However, the council voted against it and decided to serve them lighter ones.

In May last year, the railways connecting Hà Nội and HCM City witnessed five accidents, which killed two and injured 11. VNR was blamed for three of the collisions.

From December 16, 2017, to May 15, 2018, there were 122 train accidents in Việt Nam, a reduction of 30 cases compared to the same period last year. — VNS