Traffic accidents kill 27 per day during 6-day holiday in Vietnam

May 05, 2015 | 09:08
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Over the recent six-day holiday, 263 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, killing 162 people, injuring 184 others, and leaving three more missing, the National Traffic Safety Committee reported on Sunday.

As such, 27 people died per day on average from April 28 to May 3, during which the country celebrated the death anniversary of the Hung Kings (April 28), Reunification Day (April 30), and Labor Day (May 1), the committee said.

Of the 263 accidents, 249 were on roads, causing 150 deaths and 183 injuries; 11 happened on waterways, claiming 10 lives and leaving three people missing; and three occurred on railways, killing two and injuring one.

On May 3 alone, 30 people died and 32 others were wounded in 51 traffic accidents, the committee said.

During the six-day period, traffic police handled 54,622 traffic violations, issued fines totaling VND16.96 billion (US$784,700), impounded 183 cars and 7,253 motorbikes, and revoked 1,452 driver’s licenses.

One of the most serious accidents during the holiday occurred near the Hai Van Tunnel in the central city of Da Nang on April 29 between a bus and a 4-seat car that was carrying seven people, including the driver.

The accident left six people dead and another wounded, all of whom were in the car.

On average, road accidents kill around 9,000 people in Vietnam every year – almost 25 deaths per day – and leave hundreds of thousands of others with life-time injuries, Transport Minister Dinh La Thang said at a requiem held in Ho Chi Minh City on November 10, 2014 for the dead victims of road accidents.

In related news, Ho Chi Minh City saw more than 300 people hospitalized during the five-day period from April 28 to May 2 for injuries caused by fights, becoming the locality with the highest number of people injured in scuffles, the Health Ministry said, citing reports from localities nationwide.

On May 1 alone, 70 people were taken to hospitals for wounds caused by fights, more than any other day in the period, according to the city’s health authorities.

Such brawls were triggered for different reasons, including losing self-control after drinking alcohol and conflicts between people involved in traffic accidents, authorities said.

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