The driver of the bus and 12 of its passengers died instantly in the accident Thursday night in Cam Ranh municipality, and seven others remained hospitalized Friday, said provincial traffic police chief Phan Long De. 

Khanh Hoa province is about 450 kilometers northeast of Ho Chi Minh City. De said the bus, which was carrying 40 people, slammed through a barrier at a railway crossing on highway 27B and collided with the oncoming train. 

Police are still investigating the cause of the accident, De said. 

Most of the bus passengers were traveling home from the Central Highlands to Quang Tri province for Vietnam's Lunar New Year celebration, Tet, which begins next week. More than 12,000 people died in traffic accidents in Vietnam last year. 

Source: AP