Russian woman killed as bus carrying 18 foreign tourists crashes into truck in Vietnam

A bus carrying 18 foreign tourists from Nha Trang to Ho Chi Minh City crashed into the rear of a truck on an expressway early on Aug. 15, killing a Russian woman and injuring another passenger.

The bus driver later admitted to authorities that he had been feeling drowsy at the wheel.

The collision occurred at around 2:15 a.m. as Doan Minh Quang, 42, was driving the passenger bus on the Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway.

As the bus reached a section in Lam Dong Province, it slammed into the rear of a truck that had stopped in the emergency lane.

The accident scene on the Phan Thiet-Dau Giay Expressway in the early hours of Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Tu

The severe impact crushed the front of the passenger bus and heavily damaged the rear of the truck.

Gaptrakhimova Albina, a 38-year-old Russian national, was killed in the crash. Another Russian passenger, 43, suffered a broken leg and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.

According to an initial report, the truck had experienced mechanical issues shortly before the accident.

The truck's driver, 39-year-old Bui Thanh Trung, had pulled into the emergency lane and exited the vehicle to set up warning devices.

Journey-monitoring data indicated that the truck had been stationary for only about one minute before the collision occurred.

Authorities have initially determined that the bus driver failed to pay sufficient attention to the road, leading directly to the fatal crash.

Rapid tests confirmed that neither driver was under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident.

Police are continuing to examine the scene and investigate the precise cause of the accident.

Dau Giay - Phan Thiet Expressway is part of an expressway system linking Ho Chi Minh City and Nha Trang. Graphics by Tam Thao, Minh Nga