Road accidents claimed 33 lives in Vietnam at the beginning of the year 2017, a hike compared to the same period last year, police said.

Thirty-four crashes happened across the country on New Year’s Day, killing 33 people and injuring 22 others, traffic police said, adding that all occurred on the road.

This represented a rise from the same day last year, when 27 road accidents occurred, causing 23 fatalities and wounding nine people.

Traffic cops fined 2,454 people VND2.3 billion (US$101,016) on the first day of the year 2017, taking away 198 driver’s licenses and 11 cars.

Police also handled 135 cases violating waterway traffic rules, slapping VND102 million ($4,479) in fines.

Thousands rushed to downtown Ho Chi Minh City on New Year’s Eve, congesting many streets.

Traffic police officers were sent to the area to ease the jams and prevent accidents.

There were no fireworks displays as authorities in Vietnam had decided to earmark the costs for them for helping the poor.

People gather in downtown Ho Chi Minh City on New Year’s Eve. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!