At approximately 5:27 a.m., Truong Thi Que, a resident of the former Nghi Loc district, was riding her motorbike carrying baskets of fish from Trung Loc commune towards Highway 1. As she crossed an unofficial railway crossing, she was hit by the NA1 passenger train traveling from Hanoi to Vinh. She was thrown from the tracks and died at the scene.

The accident scene. Photo: Hung Le

Baskets, buckets, and fish were scattered across the tracks, and oil leaked onto the railway. Que’s motorbike was thrown more than 5 meters and severely damaged.

The train made an emergency stop to deal with the incident, delaying its journey by about 21 minutes. The SE20 passenger train from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi was also delayed by 42 minutes at Quan Hanh station while waiting for the NA1 to clear the tracks.

According to authorities, Que was a seafood vendor. That morning, she had gone to the port to buy fish and was on her way to the market when the accident occurred.

The victim's motorbike was severely damaged after being hit by the train. Photo: Hung Le

The Quan Hanh station manager said the accident occurred at an unauthorized crossing with warning signs, but Que attempted to cross as the train approached.

In the first seven months of the year, Nghe An province recorded seven railway accidents, resulting in two deaths and six injuries. The area has 171 road-rail crossings, including 73 official crossings (23 with gates, 37 with automatic warning signals and barriers, and 13 with only warning signs) and 98 unofficial crossings.

Duc Hung