A truck accident on the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway led to the “looting” of goods by locals, causing significant damage to the cargo owner. This incident once again raises concerns about the issue of looting in Vietnam.
Damaged truck with spilled goods on the highway
Truck Accident and Looting Behavior
On the night of September 26th, a truck with a Hai Phong license plate carrying goods from Lao Cai to Hai Phong was involved in an accident at km82+950 of the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway, passing through Minh Tan commune, Cam Khe district, Phu Tho province. The truck lost control and overturned, causing dozens of tons of goods, mainly fertilizers and nitrogen, used in agriculture, to spill onto the road.
Although the accident did not cause any injuries, the driver and cargo owner faced “looting” from some locals.
Screenshot of a social media post about the incident
Significant Damage to the Cargo Owner and Resolution Efforts
Mr. Nguyen Tri Dung, the operations manager of the truck, stated that he hired loaders to transfer the goods to another vehicle at a cost of 20 million VND. The work took place continuously from the morning of September 27th to nearly 10 pm on the same day. However, during the cleanup process, many locals disregarded the pleas of the driver and cargo owner and rushed to take the goods.
“Dozens of tons of goods spilled onto the road, the car’s front and the truck bed were also heavily damaged,” Dung described the scene. He also shared that he had agreed to let the locals take the goods in broken packages, but this did not prevent the looting. Even intact packages that had been loaded onto the vehicle were taken.
According to Dung, the total damage amounted to over 10 tons of goods, including spilled goods and goods that were taken. “Up to this point, the factory has not yet signed for us because the loss is too great,” Dung shared.
Verification and Investigation
The Highway Patrol Team No. 1 (Traffic Police Department) confirmed the accident and that the trucking company hired loaders to clear the scene. However, the police have not recorded any instances of locals looting. In response to information circulating on social media, the unit stated that it will coordinate with local authorities to inspect and verify the information.
Conclusion
The incident of the truck driver being looted on the Noi Bai – Lao Cai highway once again shows that this problem still exists in society. It is necessary to verify and strictly handle acts of looting to ensure social order and protect the rights of citizens. At the same time, it is necessary to strengthen propaganda and education to raise people’s awareness of this issue.
