Groom And 12 Guests Die In Vietnam After Their Minivan Crashes Into Lorry

A groom and 12 members of his family have died in a horrific car accident as they drove to his wedding in Vietnam.

The group was travelling from Vietnam's Quang Tri province to the bride's home in Binh Dinh province, and set out on the 280-mile journey in the early hours of the morning when their minivan was involved in a head-on smash with a large container truck.

An official government statement has said: "The accident killed ten of them instantly. Three, including the groom, died on the way to the hospital."

A further three passengers tragically passed away later in hospital and four other passengers, including two six-year-old children, remain in a critical condition.

The statement also said that the truck driver suffered some minor injuries in the crash, and police have launched an investigation into the accident.

PA

Traffic accidents are no rarity in Vietnam. In fact, you are eight times more likely to be killed in a road traffic accident in Vietnam than in the UK.

According to the World Health Organisation, it's been reported that approximately 14,000 people lose their lives in Vietnam every year as a result of road traffic crashes, with an estimated total of 26 deaths per day.

Traffic congestion is massive and continues to get worse, resulting from a high number of motorbikes and limited infrastructure.

The road system also hasn't been able to keep up with Vietnam's rising population, which in turn means a rising number of vehicles on the streets, with as many as 9,000 motorcycles joining the roads each day, according to a 2016 article from The Diplomat.

PA

In a recent study named Global Status Report on Road Safety, results found that many of Vietnam's roads are poorly maintained and yet the traffic laws are still loosely enforced.

Many police officers would rather hand out hefty informal fines or accept bribes than regulate the growing traffic epidemic in a lawful manner, says The Diplomat article. This obviously frustrates drivers, many of which now reportedly feel free to disregard traffic laws and take matters in to their own hands.

A note for travellers, too. If you're involved in a traffic accident in Vietnam, you could face criminal charges and will need to pay compensation to the injured person, however minor the injury..

Topics: World News, News

Megan Walsh

Megan is a freelance journalist and sub-editor with a BAHons degree in Journalism and Communications. Since graduating from London Metropolitan University, she has worked as a sub-editor and writer for Candis Magazine and later contributed to publications such as The Skinny, Creative Tourist and Huffington Post, among others.