588 killed in April road crashes

Staff Reporter :

At least 588 people, including 86 women and 78 children, were killed and 1,231 others injured in 593 road accidents across the country in April this year, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

Of these incidents, 218 involved motorcycles, resulting in the deaths of 229 individuals—accounting for nearly 40 percent of total fatalities.

In addition to road accidents, seven waterway incidents left eight people dead and four injured, while 22 railway accidents caused 24 deaths and injured six others.

The RSF compiled the report using data from nine national dailies, seven online news portals, and various electronic media outlets.

According to the division-wise breakdown, Dhaka recorded the highest number of accidents, with 173 incidents resulting in 154 fatalities. Rangpur reported the fewest, with 31 accidents causing 32 deaths.

At the district level, Chittagong witnessed 35 accidents resulting in 46 deaths, while Nilphamari recorded accidents but no fatalities.
In the capital, Dhaka city saw 34 road accidents, which led to 19 deaths and 27 injuries.

The report identified several causes behind the accidents, including unfit vehicles, reckless driving, unskilled drivers, the presence of slow-moving vehicles on highways, and a general disregard for traffic laws by the public.