298 killed in accidents during Eid

At least 273 people were killed and 849 injured in 232 road accidents across the country while travelling during the Eid-ul-Fitr festival, according to a platform working for passengers' rights.

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said the accidents on roads and highways, rail and water ways left 298 people dead and 860 injured from May 30 to June 11.

Compared to previous Eid, the number of road accidents reduced to 19.39 per cent while the death toll was 24.17 per cent lower and the number of injuries came down to 48.99 per cent, the platform said.

Motorcycles were found to be more accident-prone mode of transport as 33 per cent of all accidents were involved with the vehicle, it said.

Jatri Kalyan Samity’s Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury unveiled the statistics at Dhaka Reporters’ Unity auditorium today.

The organisation’s accident monitoring cell prepared the report.

While presenting their findings, Mozammel Hoque said the journey of the homebound people were smoother this year as the conditions of roads and highways were better.

Some new vessels were added in the water ways and trains and carriages were also increased easing the sufferings of the homebound people to some extent, he said.

The accident monitoring cell of the rights body prepared the statistics based on 40 national and regional dailies and eight online news portals.