Eid-ul-Azha road mishaps break 6-year record

This year’s Eid-ul-Azha holidays saw the highest number of road accidents and casualties in seven years, according to Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity. 

At least 398 people were killed and 778 sustained injuries in 319 road accidents during 15 days of rush before and after Eid.

Last year, 273 people were killed and 447 were injured in 240 incidents during Eid-ul-Azha. 

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity counted the numbers based on media reports and presented them at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity on Tuesday.

It said drivers accounted for the highest casualties, 124, while 72 women and children died – 36 each. Nearly half of the accidents took place on inter-district and regional roads.   

The association’s Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury told the press conference they had tallied the accidents reported in newspapers from July 3 to 17.   

Fewer people journeyed home due to Covid-19 restrictions during last year’s Eid-ul-Azha. But 1.2 crore people left the capital this year using various modes of transport while around four crore made inter-district travels, the
association said. 

Motorcycles involved highest fatalities

Though motorcycles were banned on highways for the first time during this Eid-ul-Azha, they were involved in the maximum casualties.

Motorcycles were involved in 113 accidents (35.42 per cent of total mishaps) that killed 131 people and injured 68. Deaths from motorcycle accidents were 32.91 per cent of total fatalities.