Colombo, May 25 Two teenage boys were killed in separate motorcycle accidents in Sri Lanka, local police said on Sunday.
In the first incident, a 14-year-old boy died after the motorcycle he was riding collided head-on with a truck at the Hakmana-Beliatte road, Southern Province. The boy was pronounced dead upon admission to Tangalle Hospital, the police said.
Xinhua news agency reported that in a separate accident, a 15-year-old boy was killed and four others injured when a motorcycle crashed into the back of another motorcycle in Siyambalanduwa, Uva Province. The injured were admitted to Sirigala Hospital for treatment, the police said.
The police said none of them were wearing helmets. Authorities are continuing further inquiries.
Road accidents are common in Sri Lanka, with a significant number of them involving motorcycles.
Available data shows an average of 38,000 crashes annually in Sri Lanka, resulting in around 3,000 deaths and 8,000 serious injuries. The estimated annual road crash deaths per capita are the highest among its immediate neighbours in South Asia and are five times that of the best-performing countries in the world.
High road crash fatality and injury rates in Sri Lanka are undermining the economic growth and progress made over the past decade on reducing poverty and boosting prosperity. Over two-thirds of road crash victims are productive, working-age adults between 15-64 years of age.
This situation is exacerbated by the rapid growth in vehicle ownership - 67 per cent between 2011 and 2018 - and the diversity of motorised and non-motorised traffic of varying sizes and speeds. This leaves vulnerable road users without adequate protection – more than 90 per cent of crash victims are pedestrians, cyclists, and motorcyclists.
--IANS
int/dan
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