Thailand: 277 die in Songkran festival traffic accidents

Bangkok (VNA) - A total of 277 people were killed and 2,357 injured in more than 2,300 road accidents during the Songkran holiday this year, according to official data.
 
The figures for both accidents and deaths were down nearly 30 percent from the levels seen in 2019, reflecting reduced travel this year because of concerns about the new wave of COVID-19 infections. There was no Songkran travel last year because the country was in a lockdown, the Bangkok Post reported.

On April 16, the last day of the seven-day road safety campaign when traffic laws were strictly enforced, 26 people died and 255 were injured in 253 accidents.

Drink-driving caused 36.6 percent of all accidents, followed by speeding (28.3 percent) and cutting off others (17.8 percent). Motorcycles were involved in 79.2 percent of the accidents, followed by pickup trucks (6.9 percent), the paper reported.

Over the seven days, Nakhon Si Thammarat saw the most accidents (106), followed by Chiang Mai (77) and Songkhla (69). Pathum Thani reported the highest number of fatalities at 10, followed by Bangkok (9) and Chiang Mai (9).

During the Songkran holiday, 1,908 police checkpoints were set up nationwide with 59,389 officials working./.