A bus carrying 26 people, including 20 junior college students, plunged off a cliff while descending the Hai Van Pass in central Vietnam on Tuesday, claiming at least one life, police say.

The Hai Van Pass is an approximately 21-kilometer-long mountain pass connecting Da Nang City and the neighboring province of Thua Thien – Hue in central Vietnam.

The driver allegedly lost control of his vehicle when he was driving down the passage.

The bus was carrying 20 students of a junior college, located in the southern province of Kien Giang, who were on a field trip as part of their internship.

At least nine victims have been rushed to a hospital in Da Nang for treatment, including one who had died before arriving at the hospital, according to preliminary information provided by police.

One of the hospitalized victims had an arm completely detached from her body after the terrible crash, a source with knowledge of the matter told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

A victim is rushed to the Da Nang General Hospital. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Rescuers are racing against the clock to bring the remaining victims up from the abyss, with more injuries expected, according to Duong Dang Trung, chairman of Lang Co Town in Thua Thien – Hue.

Serious accidents on the Hai Van Pass are rare since the opening of the Hai Van Tunnel in 2005, offering four-wheeled vehicles a faster and safer way of traversing the mountain that separates Da Nang and Thua Thien – Hue.

However, tour buses still frequently opt to take the mountain pass route to take tourists to a popular historical attraction located on top of the mountain.

Rescuers work to bring victims to the ground. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Rescuers work to bring victims to the ground. Photo: Tuoi Tre

An ambulance is parked near the site of the accident. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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