528 killed on roads, railways and waterways accidents in October

A total of 532 accidents on roads, railways and waterways across the country in October resulted in 528 deaths and 1,310 injuries.

The Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association gave this information in a press release on Wednesday.

The Passenger Welfare Association prepared this report after monitoring the news of accidents published in various national, regional and online media outlets of the country, said the organization's Secretary General Md. Mozammel Haque Chowdhury.

According to the report, 469 people were killed and 1,280 injured in 469 accidents on the road alone. At least 47 people were killed and 30 injured in 52 accidents on the railway, and 12 people lost their lives in 11 accidents on the waterway; one person is still missing.

Of the 772 vehicles involved in accidents, 25.90 percent were motorcycles, 21.24 percent were trucks, pickups and covered vans, 16.06 percent were buses, 12.80 percent were battery-powered rickshaws and easy bikes, 8.41 percent were Nachimon, Karimon, Mahindra, tractors and Lagunas, 4.27 percent were CNG auto-rickshaws and 4.79 percent were cars, jeeps and microbuses.

In 170 motorcycle accidents alone, 176 people were killed and 137 were injured.

The report said that almost half of the total accidents (49.89 percent) were caused by vehicles hitting them. Head-on collisions accounted for 25.15 percent, losing control and falling into ditches accounted for 19.61 percent, various causes accounted for 4.69 percent and train-vehicle collisions accounted for 0.63 percent.

By location, 42.43 percent of accidents occurred on national highways, 23.66 percent on regional highways, 27.29 percent on feeder roads, 4.69 percent in Dhaka Metropolitan City, 1.27 percent in Chittagong Metropolitan City, and 0.63 percent at railway crossings.

Regional statistics show that the highest number of accidents occurred in Dhaka Division in October—126 accidents, 130 people were killed and 343 were injured. On the other hand, the lowest number of accidents occurred in Mymensingh Division—20 accidents, 27 people were killed and 37 were injured.