Society
Việt Nam put five past Myanmar
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| Bodies of the eight victims, including a pregnant woman, were recovered. — VNA/VNS Photo |
Viet Nam News
BANGKOK — Five Vietnamese workers have died after a bus they were travelling in crashed into a truck and plunged into a canal.
The accident happened on Saturday afternoon in Thailand’s Tha Muang District in the Kanchanaburi Province.
According to local media, the crash happened around 12.20pm 150km west of Bangkok. At least 10 foreign workers were killed.
Around 100 rescue workers and police officers were rushed to the scene. As of 1.40 pm the same day, eight bodies had been recovered, including a pregnant woman. Meanwhile, four passengers were rescued and are being treated in hospital.
According to the driver of the bus who survived, the bus was carrying the migrant workers back from the Phunamron border gate to get stamps on their passports when they were hit by a 10-wheel truck.
Local authorities are investigating.
After the accident, the Vietnamese embassy in Thailand contacted provincial authorities to work to bring bodies home at the earliest opportunity.
The embassy also asked the transportation company to offer financial assistance to victims’ families.
The Foreign Ministry directed the embassy continue keeping track of the case.
Relevant information is available via the embassy’s hotline +66 89 896 6653 or Việt Nam’s citizen protection hotline +84 981 84 84 84.
In its latest announcement, Thailand’s CPS company, which employed Vietnamese workers, said it will initially offer 200,000 THB (2,000 USD) to families of victims, then 700,000 THB depending on vehicle insurance.
The Road Safety Risk Map for 2019 released by International SOS and Control Risks shows Thailand has the highest road death rate in Southeast Asia, followed by Việt Nam.
Việt Nam sent a record number of 140,000 guest workers abroad last year, an increase of 7 per cent from 2017. — VNS
