Over 270 people died in more than 1,900 traffic accidents in Thailand during the Songkran festival, Thai newspaper Bangkok Post reported on Monday, citing the country's ministry of interior
MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th April, 2022) Over 270 people died in more than 1,900 traffic accidents in Thailand during the Songkran festival, Thai newspaper Bangkok Post reported on Monday, citing the country's ministry of interior.
Around 278 people died and 1,869 were injured in 1,917 traffic accidents during the seven days of the Songkran festival, as recorded by the government's road safety campaign, Bangkok Post said, citing Nirat Pongsitthithaworn, the deputy interior permanent secretary of Thailand.
The deputy secretary mentioned that the majority of accidents, 66, took place in the province of Chiang Rai, while the highest number of injuries, 63, were reported in Chiang Mai province. The highest death toll was in Bangkok with 13 people dead. Pongsitthithaworn also said that six provinces did not witness any road fatalities - Nakhon Phanom, Pattani, Yala, Ranong, Samut Sakhon, and Sing Buri.
Pongsitthithaworn noted that 188 accidents took place on Sunday, in which 31 died and 171 were injured.
Thailand holds one of the top positions in terms of fatal traffic accidents in the world. A significant number of accidents occur in Thailand each year in two short periods, called "dangerous weeks," that is, during the week of New Year's celebrations in late December, and during the week of the Songkran festival. Millions of Thais travel from their homes to celebrate the holidays with their relatives in their provinces of birth, and head back in the last days of the holidays. Most accidents happen in cities and towns rather than on highways, while driving motorcycles and scooters rather than cars.
