Around 11:50 pm, a Ha Tinh sleeper bus carrying more than 10 people was traveling on National Highway 1 in a north-south direction. Upon entering the Deo Ngang tunnel, which connects Ha Tinh and Quang Tri provinces, the bus collided head-on with a 7-seater car with a Quang Tri license plate traveling in the opposite direction.

The impact killed two people in the 7-seater car and caused the tunnel to be blocked for several hours. The bus passengers were unharmed.

At the scene, the fronts of both vehicles were crushed, with broken glass and debris scattered across the road. Traffic police coordinated with tunnel management and local authorities to redirect traffic and mobilize rescue crews to tow the vehicles.

By nearly 6:00 am on 18/8, the scene was cleared, and the tunnel reopened.

The accident scene, early morning 18/8. Photo: Hung Le

According to the road management unit, the lighting system inside and outside the tunnel was functioning normally at the time of the accident, and the road surface was in good condition.

The Deo Ngang tunnel, which opened in 2004, is 495 m long with a 2.2 km approach road on both sides. It is 7.5 m high and 11.5 m wide, consisting of two lanes, each 3.5 m wide, with a speed limit of 60 km/h.

After a long period of operation, the Deo Ngang tunnel is showing signs of being overloaded. Authorities are constructing an expansion tunnel parallel to the existing one with an investment of nearly 220 billion VND, expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Duc Hung