Authorities in the Tĩnh Gia District confirmed the accident happened around 12.30am.
Initial reports say the train, numbered SE19, was carrying 400 passengers on route from Hà Nội to HCM City when it collided with a dump truck at a level crossing in Trường Lâm Commune.
The driver and co-driver have been identified as the two people killed.
“The collision caused the cab to fall over and six other carriages to run off the tracks, the truck was heavily damaged,” said the State-run Việt Nam Railway Corp (VNR).
Injured passengers have been rushed to nearby hospitals for medical care.
VNR and local authorities said they have sent resources to the scene to deal with the situation.
Passengers on the S19 train as well as on other trains running along the North-South route are receiving support from the railway corporation to be transported by other means to their destinations.
The cause for the accident is still being investigated. Two guards of the level crossing were summoned by the police for questioning.
North-South railway, the main rail line of the country, was temporarily disrupted following the accident. — VNS
