Associate Professor, Doctor Pham Van Quang, Head of the Intensive Care and Anti-poison Department at Children's Hospital 1 (Ho Chi Minh City), confirmed that endoscopy results on the morning of 22/7 found the 2-year-old girl did not suffer airway burns, contrary to initial concerns. She is currently conscious, breathing ambient air independently, with stable respiration and circulation. She is expected to be transferred this afternoon to the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department for continued treatment and to be with her brother.
The girl sustained first and second-degree burns covering approximately 10% of her body. Upon admission, her rapid breathing led doctors to suspect respiratory burns, prompting close monitoring before endoscopy to assess the damage.
Her 7-year-old brother has been receiving treatment in the Burns and Plastic Surgery Department since admission. He presented with burn shock, semi-consciousness, rapid pulse and breathing, and unmeasurable blood pressure. Doctor, Level 2 Specialist Tran Bich Thuy, Deputy Head of the Department, stated that the boy sustained burns covering approximately 50% of his body, with 38% being third-degree deep burns. He is undergoing anti-shock treatment, receiving antibiotics, pain relief, nutritional support, physical therapy, wound care, and psychological therapy. He is expected to undergo debridement and skin grafting surgery once his health stabilizes.
The two siblings and their parents were injured in a bus fire on National Highway 1, passing through Hung Thinh commune, Dong Nai province, which resulted in 7 fatalities in the early morning of 21/7. Their parents valiantly rescued the two children from the blaze, transferring them to a hospital in Dong Nai before they were moved to Children's Hospital 1.
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The boy receiving treatment at Children's Hospital 1. Photo: Hospital provided |
The boy receiving treatment at Children's Hospital 1. Photo: Hospital provided
The children's parents are currently receiving treatment at Thong Nhat General Hospital (Dong Nai), both having sustained burns covering approximately 20% of their bodies. The mother recounted that when the fire erupted, she and her husband embraced their two children and ran towards the bus door. Their son's clothes caught fire just before the exit; the father had to use his foot to push the child out of the vehicle before carrying him to safety. The entire family escaped in about two minutes.
According to Dong Nai Police, driver Tran Thanh Hai stated that he fell asleep, causing the vehicle to crash into a roadside barrier. The impact ignited a fire from beneath the front of the bus, near the fuel tank, causing the engine to shut down and the pneumatic system to cease operation. Since the main door operated pneumatically, it could not be opened conventionally, trapping many passengers inside.
On the evening of 21/7, the driver was indicted and temporarily detained by the Dong Nai City Police Investigation Agency for investigation into "Violating Regulations on Road Traffic Participation," under Article 260 of the Penal Code.
An injured person recounts the bus fire accident on the morning of 21/7. Video: Reporter team
Le Phuong
