Vietnam: 183 killed in road accidents in 9-day holiday

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA (AA) – At least 183 people were killed in traffic accidents in Vietnam during 9-day New Year holiday, media reports said on Monday.

Every year, Vietnam celebrates Lunar New Year (Tết holiday) in the first week of February which expands to more than a week.

During nine-day holiday from Feb. 2 to 10, 276 traffic accidents claimed 183 lives and injured 241 others, according to Vietnam News media outlet which quoted Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.

“But this was still less than the amount of fatalities and injuries compared to last year’s Tết holiday,” the ministry added.

“The average fatalities during Tết reached 20 cases per day, down 28 percent annually,” it said.

A report by World Health Organization said that approximately 14,000 people lose their lives each year in Vietnam as a result of traffic accidents.

“Motorcyclists account for a high proportion (approximately 59 percent) of the road traffic collisions in the country. The majority of death and injuries on the roads are among those aged between 15 and 49 years – the group that makes up 56 percent of total population, and most economically active group,” the report said.