Image used for representational purpose only. (Express Illustrations)
BHUBANESWAR: The much hyped ‘zero fatality week’ ended on Saturday without a single day reporting zero death due to road accidents in the state. Official sources said, as many as 70 persons were killed and around 120 mishaps took place in 23 districts during the week. While the highest 15 people were killed on April 5, four persons were killed on the first day on April 1. The road accidents claimed 11 people on April 6.
As per the region wise break-up, the maximum eight deaths each were reported from Jajpur and Keonjhar, five deaths each from Jharsuguda, Mayurbhanj and Balangir, four deaths each from Ganjam, Koraput, Rourkela and Bhubaneswar, three deaths each from Dhenkanal, Balasore and Cuttack, two deaths each from Angul, Nabarangpur, Bargarh and Jagatsinghpur and one each from Gajapati, Phulbani, Nuapada and Kendrapara.
The state government observed zero fatality week from April 1 to 7 as per the direction of the Supreme Court Committee of Road Safety following about nine per cent rise in deaths in 2022 as compared to 2011 in the state. A Transport department official said though road fatalities have come down from an average 15 a day to 10 a day during the week, it could not be brought down to zero as targeted allegedly due to negligence on the part of some of the stakeholders.
“All accidents will be reviewed next week. Most of the accidents and deaths were reported from national highways due to parked vehicles. The NHAI has already been asked to initiate legal action against the patrolling teams,” he added.
