I'm a Lancashire backpacker who survived a deadly bus crash in Laos - it will haunt me for the rest of my life

Leon Tinsley, 24, from Cleveleys, was sleeping on the bus when the vehicle lost control, veered off the road and crashed into a tree in Laos, South East Asia on Sunday.

The crash killed the driver and four others, and was part of a sleeper bus service travelling between Vientiane, the capital of Laos, and Pakse.

More than 40 foreign nationals were among the casualties, with Leon suffering minor injuries in the crash.

Leon believes his seat at the back of the bus, near the emergency exit, saved his life.

He told the Gazette: “It was around 5am Laos time and I awoke to the sounds of the bus screeching off the road and the crash upon hitting the tree.

"Fortunately, down to a miracle, my seat number saved my life. We were positioned at the back of the bus, near the emergency exit which we managed to open and escape.

“We were a few of the lucky ones.”

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Describing the journey leading up to the crash, Leon recalled: “All night, the driver was driving the bus completely erratically – swerving, speeding, overtaking.

“The journey was a nightmare.

“For those travelling South East Asia, that type of driving is a part of the norm, but for us, it turned into a nightmare that will haunt us for the rest of our lives.”

Leon, a former pupil of Millfield School in Thornton, has been travelling since December 30.

His journey took him through Thailand, visiting Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pai, and Chiang Rai, before crossing the Thai-Laos border to Huey Xie.

He then embarked on a two-day slow boat down the Mekong, stopping off in Pakbeng before arriving in Luang Prabang.

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After a few days in Vang Vieng, his journey south was cut short by the crash.

Leon worked in his parents’ bar, The Albatross in Thornton, before the trip.

After they decided to retire, he decided to travel to South East Asia to take time to figure out what he wanted to do next.

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"Travelling is all I’ve ever wanted to do and I’m trying to not let this ruin what I’ve worked and planned so hard for,” Leon said.

"I’m taking a few days to reflect on the last 48 hours but I have decided to continue with my trip.

“I’m a solo traveller but made friends along the way who joined me in the crash.”

Sadly, not everyone was as fortunate. Leon shared that a girl from London he had become friends with suffered a serious spinal injury and would have to return home.

According to reports from MSN, officials in Laos said ten ambulances and medical teams rushed the victims to hospitals.

26 injured people were transferred to hospitals in Ubon Ratchathani, with 19 sent to Princ Hospital Ubonratchathani, five to Sunpasitthiprasong Hospital and two to Ubonrak Thonburi Hospital.

Three of the victims were critically injured, nine had moderate injuries, and 14 had minor injuries.

Among those transferred were one British man and one woman, three Israeli men and nine Israeli women, five French women and one French man, as well as a Taiwanese couple.

Other nationals injured in the crash included a Laotian man, a Belgian woman, a Portuguese woman, a Spanish woman and a Vietnamese woman.

The local governor said: “The officials and medical staff at hospitals cooperated and showed efficiency in receiving patients in an emergency.”

Leon called for greater awareness of the possible danger of bus travel in Laos following the crash.

He said: "I’m grateful I came out with minor injuries to assist with the situation but I’ll never forget the sights and sounds I heard from that day.

These areas need to introduce regulations and improve conditions for workers to stop accidents happening.

“Upon researching our crash online we’ve discovered we are just one of many fatal accidents, but again only reported by local news outlets, often missed by us western travellers doing our research prior to our travels.”