Authorities are investigating a case where two women were seen on the tracks posing for photos as a train approached, an act that necessitated rapid emergency braking and has ignited public outrage.

The force of the collision severely damaged the truck, mangling its front end and splitting its body in two, while three train carriages derailed and several metres of track were displaced.

Before the railway accidents, authorities in Hanoi had issued multiple warnings about the risks at illegal crossings.