A 48-seat passenger bus of Minh Thắng Bus Company fell into the abyss in Rờ Kơi Commune, Kon Tum Province. VNA/VNS Photo

KON TUM — Six people have died and another 30 injured after a coach veered off a road and plunged 20 metres down a steep hillside.

The accident happened around 4am Saturday morning in Sa Thầy District in the Central Highlands province of Kon Tum.

The 48-seat passenger coach carrying 38 people, including six children, came off the road near of ​​Ngọc Vin Pass, on Highway 14C in Rờ Kơi Commune.

The bus, which is operated by Minh Thắng Bus Company, fell down the side of the hill before crashing 20 metres below, leaving most of the passengers trapped inside.

The driver of the vehicle, Mai Hải Nam, told police at the scene that he simply lost control of the bus. His blood samples have been taken to check for alcohol or traces of drugs.

Most of the injured people are being treated at Ngọc Hồi District’s General Hospital.

The provincial Traffic Safety Committee said local authorities and rescuers were dispatched to help those trapped.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Trương Hòa Bình asked local the health sector to mobilise medical workers to treat the injured.

The provincial police are investigating the cause of the accident. — VNS