A requiem for traffic accident victims was conducted in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday evening while the same was held a day earlier in central Ninh Binh Province.

>> 51 traffic accidents per day over past week nationwide

These requiems were part of activities to mark the World Day of Remembrance for Victims of Road Traffic Accidents, which falls on the third Sunday of November every year. These services were aimed at praying for peace for the victims’ souls and to raise awareness of the serious consequences that traffic accidents have, thus increasing public understanding and observance of traffic laws. In Ninh Binh, the requiem was held at Bai Dinh Pagoda in Gia Vien District last Saturday by the National Committee for Traffic Safety and the Vietnam Buddhist Sangha Central Committee.

The service attracted thousands of people, including foreigners. Two serious accidents were remembered at the event, which highlighted scenes of rescue activities, including one in which rescuers offered their lifejackets to victims.

Many young people take part in the requiem held in Ninh Binh Province (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

Every participant at the event held a candle-lit floating flower lantern. They were later dropped into the Phong Sinh (Life Release) Lake as a tribute to the deceased. Speaking at the event, Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said traffic accidents have caused great loss to families and society. In the first ten months of 2013, the number of traffic accidents was less than that in the same period last year but the death toll was higher. He added that the issue of traffic accidents remains serious. “For the happiness of every family and the country’s prosperity, it is time for us to improve awareness of traffic safety. All individuals and communities must act responsibly when driving,” the deputy PM said. By the end of October, nearly 25,000 traffic accidents occurred nationwide, killing 7,812 people and injuring nearly 25,000. On average, nearly 30 people died and hundreds of others were injured in traffic accidents each day.

Candle-lit floating flower lanterns are dropped into the Phong Sinh (Life Release) Lake as a tribute to the deceased (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

For the living In HCMC, the same service was conducted on Sunday evening at the Dam Sen Cultural Park in District 11, with the participation of 400 Buddhists and more than 400 members of the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union. The event was held by the city Committee for Traffic Safety. Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, head of the committee, said that 3,000 people die and more than 100,000 others are injured from traffic accidents in the world per day. In the city, 4,163 traffic accidents occurred in the past 10 months, killing 656 people and injuring 3,612 others. The deaths of the traffic victims, many of whom were very young, is a great loss to families as well as to society, while the injured victims are burdens on their families and society. The event was held to enhance the awareness of traffic safety and to reduce traffic accidents, Tuong said. On the occasion, the Committee wanted to send everybody a message: “Act responsibly for a safe and civilized traffic environment, and respect the living,” Tuong added.

A scene of the requiem ceremony held in Ninh Binh on November 16, 2013 (Photo: Tuoi Tre)

A drama with theme of traffic accidents is performed at the requiem (Photo: Tuoi Tre)