Laos sends injured bus crash passengers to Thailand for treatment

Laos has sent injured passengers from the tourist bus accident for treatment in Thailand after being unable to handle the situation locally.

A bus accident occurred between Vientiane and Pakse in Laos, where the vehicle lost control, veered off the road, and crashed into a tree in Konphapheng, Salavan Province, Laos, across from Na Tal District, Ubon Ratchathani Province, on the morning of Sunday, January 26, 2025.

Over 40 foreign nationals were injured. Emergency responders in Laos transported the injured to nearby hospitals in Champasak Province.

Due to the large number of injured individuals, some of whom were severely wounded, the medical team in Laos coordinated with Lieutenant Colonel Adisak Noi-Suwan, the Governor of Ubon Ratchathani Province, requesting support for ambulances to transfer the injured to Ubon Ratchathani for treatment.



Upon receiving the request, the Governor coordinated with the Director of Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital, a major regional hospital, and local hospitals to prepare for the emergency patient intake.

Several ambulances from nearby hospitals were dispatched to the Chongmek border checkpoint to await the arrival of patients.

At the same time, an urgent call for blood donations of all types was issued due to the major accident in Laos.

Initial reports confirmed that 14 injured individuals would be sent to hospitals in Ubon Ratchathani. Among them, 13 were classified as red (severe) and 1 as yellow (moderate) condition. The first injured person, a 33-year-old Vietnamese woman and wife of the bus driver, arrived at 2.30m with a broken right leg and was sent to Prince Ubon Ratchathani Hospital. The second patient, the bus driver, arrived at 4.20pm with severe injuries to the right side of his body. He was immediately taken to the emergency room for diagnosis and treatment planning.

Nguyen Thi Huong, 50 years old, the aunt of the injured Vietnamese woman, revealed that the bus involved in the accident belonged to her nephew by marriage. At the time of the incident, she didn’t know what had happened, but upon hearing the news, she rushed to the scene. She was shocked to see her nephew by marriage severely injured, while her niece had a broken leg but was still conscious.

She said the bus involved in the accident had only been in use for about 5 months.

As of 5pm, 9 injured individuals had been continuously transferred to Thai hospitals. Details and names are still being gathered.

(2025/01/26-00:00)