The above information was stated in a document of the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction sent to the Ho Chi Minh City People's Committee reporting on an accident related to a passenger car with license plate 50E-447.02 that occurred in Dong Nai city.
After the passenger car fire that killed 7 people, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction said that it has assigned the Specialized Inspection Department to coordinate with the Transport Management Department to verify information about vehicles and related transport business units.
According to the Department of Construction, Nam Lu Trading and Transport Service Co., Ltd. has business code 0319272495, first registration date November 20, 2025, headquarters at 37A Nguyen Phuc Chu, Tan Son ward, Ho Chi Minh City. The legal representative is Mr. Nguyen Thanh Vuong.
The enterprise registered its business location at 174 Le Duan, Bao An ward, Khanh Hoa province and 454 Le Hong Phong, Vuon Lai ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
For the passenger car involved in the accident with license plate 50E-447.02, the vehicle was first registered and inspected on January 28, 2026, is a 24-seater sleeper bus, manufactured in 2026, with a lifespan of up to 2046. The inspection certificate is valid until January 27, 2028.
Through checking operating data, the Department of Construction found that the car departed from the business representative office in Khanh Hoa and was expected to drop off passengers at the company representative office at 454 Le Hong Phong, Vuon Lai ward, Ho Chi Minh City.
According to the Department of Construction, this is not in accordance with the provisions of point b, clause 4, Article 7 of Decree 158/2024/ND-CP, which stipulates that drivers are not allowed to pick up and drop off passengers at the head office, branch or representative office of a transport business unit.
Therefore, the vehicle's operation shows signs of violating the provisions of point b, clause 7, Article 7 of Decree 158/2024/ND-CP.
On that basis, on July 22, 2026, the Ho Chi Minh City Department of Construction issued Decision No. 2267/QD-SXD-KTCN on unscheduled inspection of compliance with regulations on business and business conditions for automobile transportation for Nam Lu Transportation Trading and Service Co., Ltd.
According to the Department of Construction, before the incident, Nam Lu bus company had never been inspected because it had only been granted a car transport business license for the first time on December 10, 2025, and then re-granted for the second time on December 30, 2025.
According to initial investigation results, at about 2 am on July 21, Tran Thanh Hai (born in 1985, residing in Ninh Hai commune, Khanh Hoa province) was driving a sleeper passenger car with license plate 50E-447.02 of Nam Lu Trading and Transport Service Co., Ltd. traveling from Khanh Hoa province to Ho Chi Minh City.
When arriving at Km 1839+300 National Highway 1, in Hung Thinh hamlet, Hung Thinh commune, Dong Nai city, due to dozing off, Hai let the car continuously collide with two protective railing sections on the right side of the road.
After the collision, the front of the guardrail pierced the undercarriage, causing the vehicle to turn off and catch fire fiercely from the front area. Because the car only had one door for going in and out using a steam opening and closing system, when the engine stopped working, the door could not be opened. Hai and assistant driver Le Quoc Dat broke the main door, guided and managed to get some passengers out.
However, the fire and smoke spread very quickly, covering the entire car, causing many people to not have time to escape. The accident resulted in 7 deaths, 6 injuries; the passenger car and many passengers' belongings were completely burned down.
On the same evening, the Investigation Police Agency of Dong Nai City Police issued a Decision to prosecute the case, prosecute the defendant and apply temporary detention measures against Tran Thanh Hai to investigate the act of "Violating regulations on road traffic participation" under Article 260 of the Penal Code.
