Deaths up 7% in first four days of ‘Seven Dangerous Days’

BANGKOK, January 2 (TNA) - Seventy-six persons were killed in road accidents across Thailand on New Year’s Day, bringing the cumulative number of casualties for the first four days of the ‘Seven Dangerous Days’ during the New Year festive season to 241, according to an announcement released by the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department. The announcement said a total of 2,167 road accidents took place during the first four days, down 306 accidents compared to the same period of last year. Despite the decline in the number of accidents during the period, the number of casualties rose. It said 241 people were killed, up 7 per cent, from the corresponding period last year while the number of injuries stood at 2,382. It said the northeastern province of Buri Ram ranked first in terms of fatalities. A total of 16 persons died during the period and the chief cause of the accidents was attributed to drink and drive. As New Year revelers started returning to the capital on Bangkok to start work this Wednesday, bus and railway stations are packed with passengers. Extra buses and trains have been provided to passengers to ensure that they will reach their destinations and in time to resume work. At Hat Yai bus station in southern Thailand, people waited for their buses heading for Bangkok since early in the morning. The state-run Transport Co., Ltd. added 10 more buses daily after it found that all the 36 buses leaving for the capital were fully booked. (TNA)