THỪA THIÊN-HUẾ — At least two serious traffic accidents occurred on Saturday in the central province of Thừa Thiên-Huế, leaving two people dead and hospitalising 18 others.

A dump truck travelling in the province's Phong An Commune slammed into a motorbike, killing two riders.

The motorbike driver died at the scene while the passenger died at nearby Huế Central Hospital after emergency treatment. The two were identified as students travelling from Huế City to their home province of Quảng Trị.

Police are investigating the accident but have refused to name the company that owns the truck.

The same day, a group of tourists were hospitalised after their bus crashed in a national park.

The bus was carrying 21 people, with 18 Singaporeans, two Vietnamese and one South Korean.

Fourteen of them were reported to have light injuries while the other six suffered broken bones. All of them were hospitalised in Huế Central Hospital.

Police said the vehicle, which was a rented bus, slammed into the mountain in Bạch Mã National Park. Police suspected the driver was speeding and lost control on a route he was not familiar with.

He tested negative for alcohol, while the results of a drug test are forthcoming, according to police. Witnesses said the bus was travelling down a hilly road to exit the national park and enter the highway leading to the city centre.

The Singaporeans belonged to a group of 30 students enjoying a field trip to the park, travelling in two rented buses from local transport company Nam Thịnh.

Bạch Mã National Park includes a road leading to the mountain peak of more than 1,400m above sea level. — VNS