Road accidents claim 24 lives during 3-day Pchhum Ben festival

Road accidents had killed 24 people and injured 169 others in Cambodia during the celebrations of Pchhum Ben festival, the kingdom's second largest traditional festival, from Oct. 3-5, an official said Monday. Preap Chanvibol, director of the transport department of the Ministry of Public Work and Transport, said the number of the dead was two less than that of the festival celebrations last year, while the number of the injured was up 21 percent from 139 injuries last year. "Speeding and drunk driving are the main causes of the accidents during the celebrations," he told Xinhua. Pchhum Ben festival is the country's second largest festival after the Khmer New Year celebrations. The death toll of road accidents is still the No. 1 killer in Cambodia. Last year, road accidents killed 1,894 people, according to the transport ministry. The country lost about 300 million U.S. dollars a year due to the accidents