26 killed in road accidents during Pchum Ben festival in Cambodia

Road accidents had claimed 26 lives in Cambodia during the Pchum Ben festival holiday, or honouring-the-dead festival, from Sept. 29 to Oct.2, a 30 percent drop over the same holiday period last year, a National Police report showed Sunday.

"Twenty of the dead travelled by motorcycles without wearing helmets," the report said.

The accidents also left 138 others injured during the festival, down 14 percent compared with last year, according to the report.

A total of 66 accident cases were reported during the holiday this year, a 19.5 percent decrease over the same period last year, the report said.

Main causes of the road crashes were high-speed driving, alcohol driving, overtaking, and violation of traffic laws, it added.

Pchum Ben festival is the country's second most important festival after the lunar New Year.

Source : XINHUA