Lucknow: Around 500 persons, including women and children, landed up in various hospitals due to drunken driving on the two-day Holi festival in Lucknow.
Nineteen persons died in accidents and clashes in Lucknow during the festival that extended to two days this year. Across Uttar Pradesh, more than 30 persons have died in Holi revelry.
Nearly 90 per cent of the injured persons suffered bone and head injuries. In almost all cases, the men were in the driving seat while women and children were accompanying them.
The Trauma Centre of the King George’s Medical University (KGMU), which saw maximum cases, attended to more 300 persons on Wednesday and Thursday. Of these, 80 had to be admitted with serious nerve or head injuries and remaining were discharged after first-aid. KGMU spoke-sman Dr Ved Prakash said that as many as five patients were brought dead while 10 died during the course of treatment. Five of these cases were from Lucknow, while remaining patients were from adjoining districts.
“The neuro-surgery team saved about 70 lives”, he stated. The second highest number of accident victims was admitted in the Balrampur Hospital which received 50 cases. Of these, 26 were admitted and rest sent home after a day’s treatment.
Trauma Centre expert on road accidents with the King George’s Medical University, Dr Ajai Singh said, “Intake of alcohol along with traditional intoxicants like bhang which is a part of Holi causes the driver to hallucinate and proves hazardous during driving.”
