The number of accidents has decreased on roads, railways and waterways in the country during the journey on Eid holidays.

Bangladesh Jatri Kalyan Samity said in a report that 304 accidents have taken place in roads and highways on Eid holidays, leaving some 328 people dead and 565 others injured.

The combined number of accidents in road, rail, and waterways has stood at 341, in which 355 people have died and 620 have been injured, the report reads.

Road accidents have declined by 18.2 per cent and deaths by 21.1 per cent this time compared to the last time, it added.

Md Mozammel Haque Chowdhury, secretary general of the organisation, published the report at a press briefing in the capital on Tuesday.

He said 27 rail accidents have taken place during this period, killing at least 22 and injuring 55. At least 5 people have died in 10 accidents on waterways, while 22 others went missing.

The report was prepared based on news published in 15 newspapers from April 15 to April 29.

Like every year, the highest number of road accidents was motorcycle accidents. A total of 167 people died and 120 were injured in 165 motorcycle crashes during the Eid holidays. Motorcycles were involved in 54.3 percent of total road accidents and 51 percent of the total death toll.

A total of 216 victims of motorcycle accidents received treatment at National Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedic Rehabilitation (NITOR) alone on Eid day.  Ninety-three of them were critically injured, said the report.

The nature of accidents ranged from head-on collisions, which happened in 26 percent of cases, to running over a pedestrian which was the case in 37.2 percent of accidents.        For 20.4 percent of the accidents, the drivers lost control of their vehicles and fell into ditches. Some 16.4 percent of accidents took place due to other or unknown reasons.

The report also showed that 29.6 percent of accidents took place on national highways, 37.2 percent on regional highways, and 26.6 percent on feeder roads. At least 6.6 percent of accidents took place in the Dhaka metropolitan area. “Not all road accidents that occurred in the remote areas of the country were reflected in the report as they were not published in the media,” Mozammel said.

He said 30 per cent less than expected passengers made Eid journeys this time due to the hikes in the prices of essentials and transport cost, excessive heat and some other factors.

The number of accidents has declined as roads and highways across the country are now in better condition, thanks to the continued development activities of the government.

The Jatri Kalyan Samity general secretary also said that extension of Eid holidays by one day also contributed to reducing the accidents and deaths

He said Eid journeys were more comfortable this time compared to previous Eid journeys due to the supervision of various government bodies.