Around 23h30 on 2/1, a Ha Tinh-registered passenger bus, traveling southbound to northbound, caught fire at its front end near the south of Than Vu tunnel, Than Linh commune (formerly part of Nghi Loc district). The driver pulled the vehicle into the emergency lane, allowing passengers to open doors and evacuate. He then attempted to extinguish the flames with a mini fire extinguisher, but without success.

The scene of the fire. Photo: Dang Trang

The fire quickly spread, engulfing the entire bus, with thick black smoke rising tens of meters. The Fire Prevention, Fighting and Rescue Police Department of Nghe An Provincial Police dispatched fire trucks and dozens of officers to the scene. After about one hour, firefighters brought the blaze under control, but the passenger bus was completely destroyed.

The incident caused vehicles to be unable to pass through the area, leading to a traffic jam on the expressway that lasted two to three hours. The expressway operation team, in coordination with traffic police, diverted vehicles from the main route at exit two onto N5 Nghi Phuong road (formerly Nghi Loc district).

The bus company arranged for another oto to transport the passengers to continue their journey.

Early morning on 3/1, the scene was cleared, and traffic on the Dien Chau - Bai Vot expressway returned to normal.

According to the expressway management unit, at the time of the accident, there was no rain, the road surface was normal, and no abnormalities were detected in the traffic safety system.

The Dien Chau - Bai Vot expressway is 49,3 km long, passing through Nghe An and Ha Tinh provinces, and has been fully operational since 29/6. Giai doan 1 of this route features 4 lanes, a roadbed 17 m wide, with a maximum speed of 90 km/h and a minimum of 60 km/h.

Duc Hung