312 killed in road crashes during Eid

Staff Reporter :

At least 312 people were killed and 1,057 injured in several road accidents across the country during the 12-day Eid-ul-Azha holidays from June 3 to June 14, according to a report by the Road Safety Foundation (RSF).

The report marks a concerning 29.03% increase in fatalities compared to the same period last year, with an average of 26 deaths recorded each day.

Among the deceased were 47 women and 63 children, underlining the widespread and tragic impact of these accidents on families.

Motorcycles were involved in a significant portion of the crashes; 121 incidents that resulted in 107 deaths. These accounted for 34.29% of total fatalities and 34.87% of total reported accidents. Pedestrians made up 14.10% of the fatalities, with 44 deaths, while 51 drivers or their assistants (16.34%) also lost their lives.

In addition to road incidents, the report recorded nine accidents on waterways, which claimed 10 lives and injured eight others.

Furthermore, 32 rail-related accidents resulted in 21 deaths and 17 injuries.
Vehicles involved in the accidents include 19.35 per cent buses, 18 per cent pick-up vans, covered vans and lorries, 8.31 per cent private cars, jeeps and microbuses, 21.73 per cent motorbikes, 21.39 percent battery-run human haulers and 6.96 per cent three-wheeler vehicles.

Of the accidents, 39.19 per cent occurred on national highways, 34.87 per cent on regional roads, and 16.13 per cent on other roads.

Dhaka division reported the highest number of fatalities, with 34.72% of the total deaths; 87 people died in 116 accidents. In contrast, Sylhet division had the fewest casualties, accounting for just 3.74% of the total deaths.

Faridpur district recorded the highest number of crashes among all districts, with 27 accidents resulting in 19 fatalities.