As the last of those injured in the bus crash in Laos 1 week ago that claimed the lives of 13 Chinese nationals return to Nanjing, safety concerns when traveling in less-developed countries across Southeast Asia are back in the spotlight.
44 Chinese citizens, mostly from Nanjing, were involved in a crash near the historic Laotian city of Luang Prabang as their tour bus travelled downhill. 13 passengers died, while the remaining 31 were injured. The local bus driver and tour guide also sustained injuries.
Representatives from the Chinese embassy in Vientiane and Chinese businesses in Laos assisted with rescue effects.
Chinese visitors to Laos have quadrupled in the last 7 years, illustrating today’s convenience in travelling throughout much of Southeast Asia. Yet, the tragic incident last Monday serves as a sobering reminder that tourists need to constantly exercise care, particularly when using any kind of public transportation.
Traffic accidents pose the most serious risk to travellers across the region, especially given that tourists shall likely be unaware of local danger spots.
Jiangsu TV reported that the tour group was organised by Nanjing Jinling Business International Travel Service. While the firm has not been singled out for criticism, it remains true that travel agents in China may not be fully aware of the safety standards to which third party providers may adhere.
Such scenarios play out with worrying regularity across Southeast Asia, sometimes involving foreign visitors. In 2016, Vietnamese authorities suspended tour company, Dalat Passion, over the legitimacy of a tour that claimed the lives of three young British nationals in an accident at the popular Datanla waterfall.
In general terms, Laos ranks as the fifth safest country or region in Southeast Asia, after Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Taiwan, according to findings by Vision of Humanity.
That said, same list ranks Thailand as tenth, whereas the 2014 book, “Thailand: Deadly Destination”, labelled the country the world’s most dangerous. In addition to murders in Thailand that are thankfully almost unheard of in Laos, it were the train, bus, ferry, speedboat, motorbike and car accidents that gave Thailand this accolade.
