A sleeper bus was swept away by surging flood currents while passing through Bo Trach District in Quang Binh Province at around 2:30 a.m. Oct. 19, leaving 18 passengers stranded, including adults and children, Tuoitre has reported.
Under the impact of the torrent, the bus was pushed off course for 300m and submerged in over a meter of water. Fortunately, the bus was only leaning on a side and had yet to turnover when the rescue team arrived.
The passengers had broken a window on the second bus level to climb on the rooftop to cry for help.
One by one, the rescue force escorted everyone to safety using lifebuoys and lifejackets, as boats were no use against the intense current.
Floods and rains have been pouring down relentlessly in Central Vietnam for over 10 days, affecting over 136,000 families and killing at least 60 people through a series of landslides.
In 2019, natural disasters in Vietnam took 132 lives and injured 207, with floods the main cause.
Image courtesy of Tuoitre
