A tragic incident unfolded on July 21 when a sleeper bus caught fire in Dong Nai, leading to the deaths of seven individuals, including three children aged 2, 4, and 10. The bus was transporting 37 passengers from Phan Rang to Ho Chi Minh City when it collided with a guardrail, igniting a fire that spread rapidly.

Nguyễn Thị Ngọc Bích, a 35-year-old passenger, recounted the horrifying moment when she and her family attempted to escape the flames. "We were sleeping when suddenly, I heard a loud crash. Within seconds, the front of the bus was engulfed in flames, and smoke filled the cabin, making it hard to breathe," she said. Bích, along with her husband, Nguyễn Văn Thông, and their two children, managed to escape, but not without injuries. Their son, aged seven, suffered severe burns as they rushed through the flames.

Witnesses described the chaos as passengers scrambled to find an exit. Many were trapped, unable to break the windows as smoke and fire engulfed the vehicle. Bích recalled, "I was one of the last to leave. I could still hear screams and banging on the windows before it went silent." The fire spread rapidly, and within minutes, the bus was fully ablaze, with multiple explosions reported.

The bus driver, Trần Thanh Hải, 41, and the assistant driver, Lê Quốc Đạt, 18, were also injured while trying to rescue passengers. They reported that the bus had been functioning normally until the crash, which they attributed to the driver falling asleep at the wheel. After the collision, the fire ignited near the fuel tank, leading to a catastrophic failure of the bus's systems, which prevented the doors from opening normally.

Emergency services arrived shortly after the incident, but the fire had already claimed the lives of seven passengers who were trapped inside. The deceased included two individuals from Tây Ninh and four from Khánh Hòa, with one victim yet to be identified. The scene was devastating, with personal belongings scattered and the bus reduced to a charred shell.

This tragic event has raised concerns about bus safety regulations and the importance of driver vigilance. The bus, operated by Năm Lu Transport Company, was relatively new and had passed inspection, raising questions about the circumstances that led to this disaster.

As investigations continue, the community mourns the loss of those who perished in this horrific accident, and families are left to grapple with the aftermath of this tragedy.