Police in Hanoi said on Sunday they had identified the two women who were in a car that plunged off a bridge, which claimed both lives, in the Vietnamese capital on Saturday night.

The deceased are Nguyen Thi Thu Huong, 29, and Bui Kim Chi, 21. They both resided in Hanoi.

The car, a Mercedes GLC300 with license plate No. 30E-868.36, was manufactured in Vietnam in 2017.

Huong was also the owner of the car as her name was in the vehicle’s registration.

Police said it remains unclear who was behind the wheel at the time of the accident.

The section of the Chuong Duong Bridge in Hanoi where the automobile dropped into the river on November 3, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre

According to preliminary information, the automobile was traveling on Chuong Duong Bridge from Long Bien District to the downtown area at around 7:00 pm on Saturday when it suddenly crashed into the railings and fell into the river.

Rescue units were later mobilized to the site of the accident, while traffic along one lane of the bridge was temporarily blocked for competent authorities to deal with the incident.

Hanoi deputy chairman Nguyen Van Suu and vice-chairman of the National Committee for Traffic Safety Khuat Viet Hung also arrived at the site to direct the search and rescue efforts.

Rescue units arrive at the bridge. Photo: Tuoi Tre

They were able to locate the car at around midnight, about five hours after the crash.

The vehicle was salvaged at 1:20 am on Sunday with the two deceased victims still inside. The driver was still holding on tightly to the steering wheel.

The railings of the bridge were fixed later in the morning and traffic was back to normal.

Speedboats are mobilized to look for the car. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Some eyewitnesses said the Mercedes was traveling in the bridge’s car lane when it had to swerve into the mixed-use lane, meant for both cars and motorbikes, to avoid a garbage truck prior to the crash.

Further investigation is still ongoing.

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