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A total of 7,902 people were killed and 10,372 others injured in 6,261 road accidents in Bangladesh in 2023, reports bdnews24.com citing a study.
There were 6,929 road, rail, and river transport accidents throughout the year, leading to the loss of 8,505 lives and injuries to 10,999, according to the annual accident report by the Bangladesh Passenger Welfare Association’s monitoring cell.
BPWA Secretary General Mozammel Hoque Chowdhury presented the report at the Dhaka Reporters Unity Sagar-Runi Auditorium at 11:30 am on Sunday.
Like every year, the report was compiled from news reports of road, rail, and river transport accidents published by media outlets in 2023, he said.
The study found that 512 were killed and 475 injured in 520 rail accidents. Another 91 were killed, 152 injured, and 109 went missing in 148 river transport accidents.
Among the road accidents, 2,152 people died and 1,339 were injured in 2,031 motorcycle accidents. The numbers account for 32.43 per cent of total accidents, 27.23 per cent of deaths, and 12.90 per cent of injuries.
Road accidents and fatalities have increased over the past nine years as the number of registered vehicles as well as small vehicles, particularly motorcycles and easybikes, has increased four to fivefold, Mozammel Hoque said. The number of easybikes, motorcycles, and three-wheelers has increased because they continue to operate on national and regional highways despite the government’s ban, he said.
Among the deaths were 1,950 drivers, 968 pedestrians, 485 transport workers, 697 students, 97 teachers, 154 law enforcement personnel, 985 women, 612 children, 30 journalists, 32 doctors, 16 freedom fighters, eight lawyers, 10 engineers, and 111 political activists.
Of the 8,055 vehicles involved in accidents, 16.15 per cent were buses, 24.84 per cent were trucks, pick-up trucks, covered vans and lorries, 5.91 per cent were cars, jeeps, and microbuses, 5.39 per cent were CNG-powered autorickshaws, 26.2 per cent were motorcycles, 14.47 per cent were battery-operated rickshaws and easybikes, and 7.19 per cent were various other types of three-wheelers.
Of the total accidents, 52.83 per cent were cases of vehicles ramming pedestrians, 20.5 per cent were head-on collisions, and 14.29 per cent were due to vehicles veering out of control.
Of the total accidents, 34.86 per cent occurred on national highways, 28.41 per cent on regional highways, and 28.5 per cent on feeder roads. The Dhaka Metropolitan Area recorded 6.32 per cent of all accidents and the Chattogram Metropolitan Area 1.11 per cent.