Nearly 180,000 people killed in road accidents in India last year: minister

NEW DELHI, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) -- Around 180,000 people died in road accidents in India during the year 2024, out of whom there were 30,000 people who died while riding two-wheelers without wearing a helmet, said the country's Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

According to him, 66 percent of those who died in road accidents in the country were in the age group of 18-34 years.

Among the dead were nearly 10,000 school students, said the minister, and added that such deaths took place for lack of proper traffic arrangements in front of schools and other educational institutions.

Gadkari said a new scheme of cashless treatment of road accidents victims was being launched in order to save human lives.

"We have started a new scheme for cashless treatment of persons injured in road accidents. Immediately after an accident occurs, within 24 hours, when the information goes to the police, we will provide expenses for seven-day treatment of the patient who gets admitted, or a maximum of up to 1,50,000 Indian Rupees (1,747 U.S. dollars) for treatment. We will also provide 2,00,000 Indian Rupees (2,330 U.S. dollars) for the deceased in hit-and-run cases," said the minister.