39 killed, 402 injured on first day of Songkran festival

BANGKOK, Apirl 12 (TNA) - Road accidents have killed 39 people and injured 402 others on Friday -- the first day of the seven-day campaign to reduce road accidents throughout Thailand -- as people celebrate the annual Songkran festival or Thailand’s traditional New Year. Quoting statistics compiled by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Theerapong Rodprasert, Deputy Permanent Secretary of Transport Ministry, told a press conference that there were a total of 379 road accidents nationwide yesterday, an increase of 53 accidents from the corresponding period of 2013. He said 39 people died from the road accidents, an equal amount of those perished last year, while 402 people injured, up 60 from last year. 30.61 per cent of the accidents resulted from drunken driving, followed by speeding at 21.64 per cent. Most of the accidents involved with motorcycles. Out of the total casualties, the northernmost province of Chiang Rai recorded the most deaths at four while Phrae province recorded most injuries with 19 people. Theerapong urged concerned officials in every province to be on alert at checkpoints and to enforce strict traffic law to help reduce casualties from road accidents during the so-called “seven dangerous days”, which began yesterday. (TNA)