709 killed in travel mishaps last month

With no let-up in travel fatalities in sight, November alone saw 709 people being killed and 840 others injured in 668 accidents that occurred on road, railways and waterways.

Among the casualties, 643 people were killed and 826 injured in 586 accidents on roads and highways during the period from November 1 to November 30, says the Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh.

Besides, 51 people were killed and four others injured in 64 accidents on the railway while 15 people were killed, 10 others injured and seven people reported missing in 18 accidents on the waterways during the same period.

Passenger Welfare Association of Bangladesh, a non-government organisation, compiled the report based on published news of various national dailies, online news portals and mass media, said a press release on Tuesday.

The group identified several reasons behind most of the accidents. Among them, dangerous overtaking, reckless speed, unfit vehicles, lack of footpaths or grabbed footpaths, sudden entrance of vehicles from feeder roads at railway crossings and highways, increasing number of small vehicles.

Besides, lack of service lanes on various national and regional highways, easy bikes, rickshaws, autorickshaws come down from various feeder roads on national and regional highways were the other reasons, it said.