A report from the Vung Tau City Police Department said that Tran Thi Thu Thanh, 37, was confirmed as drunk based on her blood alcohol levels.

Thanh was detained after driving at a high speed and crashing into several motorbikes waiting at a red light on Nguyen Van Troi Street at 9.15 pm on Thursday. The car only stopped after hitting a traffic light pole.

The intense crash left a woman and her mother dead, and five other people suffered severe injuries.

A witness said she heard a loud noise and screams and ran to the site to see people and motorbikes lying on the street.

"It was chaos," she said. "Some people were badly hurt and crying in pain. I gave first aid to a teenage boy and a woman who had her leg nearly cut off before ambulances arrived and rushed them to hospital."

Police reported that two women had died at the scene while five others were injured and had been sent to local hospitals. One person had to be transferred to Ba Ria Hospital for better treatment due to his more serious condition.

During a working session on June 27, the Vietnamese National Assembly agreed to a ban drink driving.

The provision has been implemented for several years, but only now is set to be included in the Law on Road Traffic Order and Safety.