Sad Start To Songkran When Pickup Loaded With 23 People Crashes

[Mid]

nothing auspicious about the number of death .

Despite the tinkering with stats, the carnage gets worse every year. Seems to be a bumper harvest this year already. Next month's 911 Magazine will have some cracking pics, I bet!

well it was a 50 / 50 chance ,

I was actually referring to the number seven as the number of death .

[sriracha john]

"The goal for this year's Official Songkran Death Toll is 354."

- Channel 11 Newsline

=================================

hmmm... they might have wanted to give a little more thought to that wording in the pre-airing editing process.

Edited April 12, 2007 by sriracha john

[sriracha john]

Songkran Day Two: Official Death Toll at 98

BANGKOK - A total of 57 persons were killed and 720 injured in road accidents throughout Thailand Friday, bringing the death toll in the first two days of the Songkran festival to 98 dead and 1,234 injured, said Interior Minister Aree Wong-araya.

Speaking in his capacity as director of Thailand's Road Safety Centre, Mr. Aree said that drunken driving, speeding and otherwise reckless driving were the leading causes of death.

Motorcycles were implicated is most accidents during the past two days following week-long government-sponsored road safety campaigns aimed at reducing road fatalities during the water splashing festival, or Thailand's traditional New Year.

A total of 1,067 road accidents took place in the first two days, he said, adding that the number of people killed and injured was still less than the corresponding period of 2006.

The northern and northeastern provinces of Phitsanulok and Nakhon Ratchasima recorded most accident victims during the period, he added.

The annual Songkran festival is also celebrated in Thailand's neighbouring countries of Laos and Myanmar, where the majority of the population are Buddhist.

- MCOT

[BigSnake]

Seven killed in pickup crash

A pickup truck overloaded with 23 passengers returning to the Northeast for the Thai New Year overturned Tuesday after a front tyre burst, killing seven people and injuring another 16, police said. Songkran will be held from April 13 to 17. The pickup, packed with labourers heading back to Sisaket province from Bankgok for an early start to the Songkran revelries, burst a tyre in Surin province in the Northeast. The driver lost control of the vehicle which crashed and overturned.

Sadly continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=117855

Sad for sure, however this is thailand(TIT) and it is alway Mai Pen Rai until a bad accident/death.

[mumbojumbo]

7 out of 23 dead is sad, but i remember 14 yrs ago, a pickup with 22 sailors from Satahip head oned

a 10 wheeler going to Pattaya, and all 22 died. I saw something in bkk post that after this accident,

the gov. is going to set a limit for how many bods in a pickup. This will cause a big prob for

construction workers going to work in the non-holiday season. The earlier post stating recommended

bods is prob the manufacturers re-condemnations. Drunks, vehicles, and water=deaths.

[sriracha john]

Climbing higher.....

Sonkran Death Toll rises to 169 after 3 days

Road accidents in the first three days of the seven dangerous Sonkran holidays saw 169 people killed and 2,296 others injured, Deputy Public Health Minister Morakot Kornkasem said Saturday.

Morakot told a press conference that 2,032 accidents occurred from Wednesday to Friday.

On Friday alone, 965 accidents occurred, killing 71 people and injuring 1,062 others.

Nakhon Phanom and Khon Kaen were the provinces with highest death toll with six persons killed in each province, Morakot said.

Most or 45.6 per cent of the accidents were caused by drunk driving, he said.

- The Nation

[mikethevigoman]

Seven killed in pickup crash

A pickup truck overloaded with 23 passengers returning to the Northeast for the Thai New Year overturned Tuesday after a front tyre burst, killing seven people and injuring another 16, police said. Songkran will be held from April 13 to 17. The pickup, packed with labourers heading back to Sisaket province from Bankgok for an early start to the Songkran revelries, burst a tyre in Surin province in the Northeast. The driver lost control of the vehicle which crashed and overturned.

Sadly continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/b...s.php?id=117855

the tyre burst as it was overloaded ( the pickup ) 27 people, crazy,

[WaiWai]

Most or 45.6 per cent of the accidents were caused by drunk driving, he said.

Most or 45.6 % ??

Anyway, would be interested in knowing how the others occurred. Mostly young people ?

Very sad; so unnecessary.

[chownah]

I rode in the back of a pickup today with 12 other people. We didn't feel like we were endangered or endangering....the people we passed didn't think they were endangered either if looks count for anything. Stopping us from doing this would be a really bad thing....but realistically a law probably wouldn't have stopped us from doing it.

Chownah

[sriracha john]

The final tally for the Official Songkran Death Toll:

Deaths slightly down, but accidents and injuries increase

The seven "dangerous days" of the Songkran holidays ended yesterday with 361 people killed and 4,805 injured in 4,274 road accidents.

There were 77 more accidents and 79 more people were injured compared to last year, but there were 14 fewer fatalities.

Khon Kaen topped the provincial fatalities list with 16 deaths, while Chiang Rai had the most accidents with 160 and the most injuries with 167.

- The Nation