Road crashes claim 407 lives, up 25%, during Eid journeys

A road accident involving a truck during the Eid-ul-Fits Festival.

Dhaka, April 20 - Road crashes during the recent Eid-ul-Fitr holiday rush claimed 407 lives in just 15 days, according to the Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Shamiti (Passenger Welfare Association).

At least 399 road crashes occurred during April 4-18, leaving 1,398 individuals injured, BJKS Secretary General Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury revealed this information at a press briefing on Saturday held at Dhaka Reporters Unity in the capital on Saturday.

Compared to the previous year, road crashes this Eid have increased by 31.25 percent, fatalities by 24.08 percent, injuries by 147.43 percent.

According to the report, a total of 24 fatalities and 21 injuries were recorded in 18 accidents on railtrack, while seven individuals lost their lives and five were injured in accidents on the river routes.

BJKS noted that the number of homegoing people went up by 20 per cent due to extended vacation. Although various regulating and law-enforcement agencies were on the field, incidents of charging extra fare and harassment reached their peaks during the Eid trips.

Like other years, motorcycles were the most lethal form of transport, recording 165 deaths and 240 injuries in 198 accidents. This accounts for 49.62% of the total accidents and 40.44 % of the total deaths recorded. - UNB