A passenger bus plunged into a river in Vietnam's Central Highlands killing 34 people and injuring at least 25 others, state-run newspapers reported today.
The bus went into Serepok River last night while passing a bridge between Daklak and Dak Nong provinces, crushing many to death, according to Daklak's deputy chairman Dinh Van Khiet.
"The front head of the bus was submerged and deformed, making it hard for the rescue work," Mr Khiet was quoted as saying. He said 34 people were killed and 25 or 26 others injured.
Vietnamese websites showed photographs of people pulling wreckage of the bus from the river and police placing bodies on a mattress. Daklak is 350 km northeast of Ho Chi Minh City.
Traffic collisions killed more than 3,100 people nationwide in the first four months of 2012, down 30 per cent from the same period last year, according to Vietnamese government data.
Reuters