"I panicked, trying to crawl towards the streetlights to find help," recounted Thuy, 57, describing the accident that occurred late on 10/5 on An Khe Pass, resulting in one death and ten injuries.

Since his documents and luggage were still trapped under the vehicle, Thuy remained at Tay Son Medical Center on the afternoon of 11/5 for treatment and to retrieve his belongings.

Nguyen Duc Thuy recounts his escape from the accident. Photo: Tran Hoa

For nearly a year, Thuy regularly traveled by bus from Ea Sup commune, Dak Lak province, to Da Nang, a journey of over 500 km, for medical treatment. On average, he made the trip once every week or ten days, with a ticket price of about 600,000 VND per trip.

On the afternoon of 10/5, he went to the bus station as usual to travel to Da Nang. The bus carried two drivers, two assistants, and eight passengers. Around 7 p.m., the bus stopped for dinner near the Gia Lai provincial border.

The bus, a double-bed type, had few passengers, so each person occupied a private bed with a curtain. Along the way, the bus pulled over multiple times to pick up fruit and agricultural products.

Late that night, as the bus descended An Khe Pass on National Highway 19, through Binh Khe commune. Although widened and repaired nearly two years prior, An Khe Pass still features many steep, winding sections, making it a challenging route for many drivers.

As the bus slowly descended the pass, Thuy heard a loud collision from behind. "The bus shook violently, then the engine died, and the driver lost control," he said.

The bus then swerved, veered towards the roadside, and collided with several obstacles. Passengers and luggage were thrown to the ceiling, screams echoing throughout the area. In the darkness, Thuy felt the bus continuously roll multiple times down the ravine.

A window next to his bed suddenly shattered. He was thrown out, landing on a grassy slope midway down the hill, while the bus continued to flip into a ravine approximately 40 meters deep.

"I was very panicked, but I tried to crawl towards the streetlights. I managed to go dozens of meters before collapsing from exhaustion," he stated.

The bus was severely damaged after the accident. Photo: Tran Hoa

The passenger bus lay 40 meters deep in the ravine after the accident. Photo: Tran Hoa

Minutes later, he made his way to the national highway to flag down passing vehicles for help and called the police. Soon after, some other individuals, including the driver and assistant, also crawled out of the ravine. The first victims were rushed to Tay Son Medical Center after 2 a.m.

"I've traveled this pass for years, but I've never experienced an accident like this. I'm lucky to be alive," Thuy commented. After the accident, he suffered back and head pain, but scans revealed no serious injuries.

After receiving Thuy's report around 11:30 p.m., over 20 officers and soldiers, along with specialized vehicles from Firefighting and Rescue Team No. 3 (Gia Lai Provincial Police), located nearly 30 km away, arrived at the scene.

Lieutenant Colonel Nguyen Tien Dung, the team leader, reported that when rescue forces arrived, the police and local authorities had already cleared bushes to create a path down the ravine. However, the steep terrain, darkness, and dense vegetation made access very difficult.

"It was impossible to bring victims up by ordinary means, so we had to anchor ropes to tree trunks and use them to descend into the ravine," Lieutenant Colonel Dung explained.

At the scene, authorities found many victims with broken arms and legs scattered around the mangled bus.

Two doctors accompanying the rescue team immediately provided on-site first aid, securing victims onto rigid stretchers. The soldiers then used ropes to pull each person up to the road surface. Each movement required coordinated effort to avoid shaking the injured.

The distance from the crash site to the national highway was only about 60 meters, but the rescue operation lasted many hours due to the deep, steep ravine. It took dozens of minutes to safely bring each victim up. Some soldiers became exhausted and had to be relieved.

"I've participated in many rescue operations, but rarely have I seen access this difficult," Lieutenant Colonel Dung stated.

Rescue forces transport victims for emergency treatment. Photo: PCCC

Around 3 a.m. on 11/5, the rescue operation concluded. Of the twelve people on the bus, passenger Pham Thi Nu, 38, from Dak Lak, sustained the most severe injuries and died after being admitted to Tay Son Medical Center.

Ten others were injured, with two severe cases transferred to Gia Lai Provincial General Hospital for treatment.

On the afternoon of 11/5, six victims with stable health were discharged. The crashed bus remained in the ravine, awaiting equipment for removal from the scene.

According to Gia Lai Provincial Police, the initial cause may have been a truck with failed brakes colliding with the passenger bus while descending the pass. The incident is under investigation.

Authorities rappel down to rescue victims. Video: Tran Hoa - Minh Hoang

Tran Hoa