Iran police chief: 470 dead so far in road accidents during Nowruz holidays

Iran’s Police Chief Brigadier General Ahmadreza Radan says 470 people have so far lost their lives due to vehicle accidents amid a sharp rise in road trips countrywide during Nowruz holidays.

Genersl Radan said Saturday that so far 262 million road trips had been registered since the start of New Year holidays, on March 20, and the week earlier.

He said this shows a sharp increase in the number of road trips during this year’s New Year holidays compared to last year.

Police officials say most deaths were recorded in accidents caused by drivers’ sleep deprivation and high speed.

Nowruz, which falls on the spring equinox to the minute, is a 13-day celebration of the Persian New Year. This year’s Nowruz began on Tuesday March 21, but many had started their trips earlier.

Generally, Iran has one of the highest death tolls from road traffic accidents in the world.

IFP Editorial Staff

The IFP Editorial Staff is composed of dozens of skilled journalists, news-writers, and analysts whose works are edited and published by experienced editors specialized in Iran News. The editor of each IFP Service is responsible for the report published by the Iran Front Page (IFP) news website, and can be contacted through the ways mentioned in the "IFP Editorial Staff" section.