A desperate rescue operation is underway as emergency crews battle unstable terrain and race against time on the vital Khanh Le Pass.
KHANH HOA, Vietnam — A scene of devastation has unfolded on the treacherous Khanh Le Pass in Khanh Hoa province, after a massive landslide engulfed a passenger bus late this evening, November 17, 2025.
Initial reports from provincial authorities confirm a devastating toll: at least six people are dead, and 19 others have been injured, many of them seriously.
The incident occurred on a remote stretch of the pass, a vital transport artery that connects the coastal city of Nha Trang with the highland city of Da Lat. Witnesses described a horrifying roar as tonnes of rock, mud, and debris cascaded down the mountainside, completely burying the unsuspecting vehicle in seconds.
"It was sudden, a terrible noise," one local official told reporters. "The earth just gave way."
A large-scale and frantic rescue operation is now in full force, but crews are facing extreme difficulties. The operation is being hampered by:
Unstable Terrain: The ground remains heavily saturated, and emergency services fear the risk of further, secondary landslides.
Access Difficulty: The landslide has completely blocked the pass, making it difficult for heavy machinery and ambulances to reach the immediate site.
Failing Light: As night falls, the complex and dangerous rescue effort is being conducted under floodlights, adding to the challenge.
Video from the scene shows a chaotic picture, with soldiers, police, and local rescue teams digging frantically through the rubble, a mangled section of the bus barely visible beneath the mud.
The injured have been evacuated and are being rushed to the nearest provincial hospitals. Authorities fear the death toll may rise as the search continues for other potential victims trapped within the wreckage.
This tragedy comes amidst a period of extreme weather in Central Vietnam. The region has been battered by relentless, heavy rains for weeks, which have saturated the soil and led to widespread flooding and a high risk of landslides. Just today, authorities issued new warnings for Central and Highland provinces as a new weather system moved in.
The Khanh Le Pass is now indefinitely closed, severing a critical link and stranding hundreds of travelers. The government has dispatched high-level officials to the site to direct the rescue efforts and support the victims' families.