A prayer service for those who died in road crashes took place at a large Buddhist temple in Ho Chi Minh City on Sunday, in line with the World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims, which is observed on the third Sunday of November every year.
The memorial ceremony, jointly organized by the municipal traffic safety committee and the local committee for religious affairs, was performed by hundreds of Buddhists at Vietnam Quoc Tu (‘Vietnam’s National Pagoda’), a complex with an under-construction 13-story worship building in the metropolis’ District 10.
The service was observed with the messages ‘remember the deceased for the sake of the living’ and ‘human life is paramount.’
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| Buddhist nuns pray at a memorial service at Vietnam Quoc Tu in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, November 18, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
Nguyen Ngoc Tuong, head of the traffic committee, said at the event that 563 people died in over 2,000 road crashes in the city from January to October this year.
The carnage was more serious across the country, with 20 fatalities averagely reported every day, and those who survived the incidents tend to be a burden to their family, he said.
The praying service was also expected to offer condolences to families affected by road casualties and call for traffic regulation obedience.
Over 6,000 people died in traffic accidents in Vietnam in January-September, according to official figures.
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| Officials and Buddhist monks offer incense sticks during a memorial service at Vietnam Quoc Tu in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, November 18, 2018. Photo: Tuoi Tre |
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