Shawdesh desk:

As many as 496 people were killed and 681 others injured in 467 accidents that occurred on roads, railways and waterways in September across the country, according to Jatri Kalyan Samity.

Jatri Kalyan Samity, a non-government organisation, prepared the report based on news published in various national, local dailies and online news portals, said a press release on Saturday.

Among the casualties, 417 people were killed and 651 injured in 402 road accidents from September 1 to 30. Besides, 51 people were killed and 26 others injured in 49 accidents on the railway while 28 people were killed, four others injured and three people went missing in 16 accidents on the waterways during the same period.

Besides, 5.47 per cent of the total accidents across the country were reported in Dhaka city, 0.49 per cent in Chattogram city and 0.24 per cent in railway crossings.

Among the victims, 10 are members of law enforcement agencies, 143 drivers, 66 pedestrians, 60 transport workers, 65 students, eight teachers, 74 women and 44 children.

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.