A collision between two sleeper buses at the intersection of the Ho Chi Minh Road and National Highway 25 in the central highland province of Gia Lai on Tuesday morning, left one dead and 17 others injured.

The scene of the accident.

According to initial information from the Gia Lai Provincial Traffic Safety Committee, the incident occurred around 3 am when two sleeper buses collided in Chu Se Town.

The strong collision caused a 49-year-old female passenger dead after falling out of a bus; and 17 others injured. The victims were transported to the Gia Lai Provincial General Hospital for emergency treatment, with several suffering from multiple traumas. The hospital immediately activated a code red response, mobilising a team of experienced medical professionals to receive and treat the victims.

Both vehicles were heavily damaged, one veered off the road into a nearby field. A traffic signal pole and median barrier were knocked over.

The Gia Lai Provincial Traffic Police are investigating the cause of the accident.

Traffic accidents killed 82 people and injured 200 others on the first three days of the on-going Reunification Day (May 30) and May Day holiday.

The holiday lasts for five days, starting from April 27.