Songkran death toll jumps to 82

People flock to Lan Khon Muang open ground at City Hall in Bangkok on Thursday to give alms to 191 monks and sprinkle water on a Buddha statue, to mark Songkran Day. (Photo by Apichart Jinakul)

The death toll for the first two days of the Songkran festival has risen to 82, with 48 people killed on the roads on Wednesday.

On the second day of the "seven dangerous days'' 48 people died and 630 were injured in 586 road accidents nationwide, deputy permanent health secretary Suwannachai Wattanayingcharoenchai said, speaking at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation on Thursday.

On the second day of the road safety campaign last year, also April 12, there were 64 deaths and 550 injuries in 520 road accidents, according to the Road Safety Directing Center.

Drink-driving remained the major cause of accidents this year, accounting for 42.32%, followed by speeding 30.38%, Dr Suwannachai said.

Most accidents involved motorcycles, at 84.16%.

Chiang Mai province in the North recorded the largest number of road accidents on Wednesday, at 33, as well as the highest number of injuries, at 32.

Kanchanaburi in the West saw the highest number of fatalities with 4.

These figures brought the accumulated deaths to 82 and injuries to 1,049 in 995 traffic accidents over the two days, Dr Suwannachai said.

The Road Safety Directing Center initially reported that there were 33 deaths and 420 injuries in 409 road accidents on Tuesday, the first day of the campaign. The number of fatalities was later increased to 34 and injuries reduced by 1 with the death of an accident victim.

Thirty-one provinces reported zero deaths on the roads over the past two days, with Chaiyaphum in the Northeast reporting no injuries.

Dr Suwannachai said the overall road safety situation had improved from last year with the accumulated death toll down on the same period of last year.

From April 11-12 last year, there 116 deaths in 907 road accidents.