On the evening of 5 May, Pastor Dang Ba Nham, his wife, and a church elder were praying on a roadside with a woman who had recently converted to Christianity in Vinh on the north central coast of Vietnam.
They stood in front of the property of the new Christian, Phan Thi Thanh Huyen, to ask God for his blessing in building a new house. As they were praying, a large pick-up truck with red military plates veered across the street and ploughed squarely into the small group.
Serious surgery
Mr Nham (56) was dragged about 15 metres and died at the scene. The new believer died of injuries the next day. Mr Nham’s wife underwent complex surgery for serious neck and upper body injuries on 9 May and, at time of going to press, remains weak, with her recovery uncertain. The church elder, Hoang Ngoc Hung, was transported to Hanoi by the military and also underwent serious surgery. An attending doctor said his chances of surviving are no more than 20%.
