After 39 people were killed in three traffic accidents during
Spring Festival, the Ministry of Public Security is urging local
authorities to ensure road safety nationwide.
The move came in a statement issued yesterday on its website
after the accidents, which also injured 26.
Twenty-four people died and 20 were injured in the corresponding
period of last year, the statement said. However, that figure came
from only one accident.
Passenger flow increased during this holiday season, when people
go home for family reunions. College students and migrant workers
make up most of the travellers. However, estimates for the recently
finished season are still unavailable.
Vehicles overloaded with gifts and luggage would also be a
contributing factor, and recent bad weather, including snow and
rain in most parts of China, has also been held partially
responsible for the tragedies, the statement said.
The latest of the three accidents was one that killed 19 people
and injured 11 on Saturday in Hekou County in the Hani-Yi
Autonomous Prefecture of Honghe southwest China's Yunnan
Province.
The accident occurred at 8:40 PM when Wu Zhenghong, a
villager in Pingbian County, was driving a truck overloaded with 30
people along National Highway No 326, the Xinhua News Agency
reported.
The truck ran into a ditch about 100 metres deep on a switchback
road under dark, rainy conditions.
(China Daily February 16, 2006)