The number of people killed in road accidents on Thursday exceeded the number from the corresponding day last year when 84 lives were lost on the country's roads. The number of injuries was also higher, by 194.

Deputy Interior Minister Sermsak Pongpanit, the safety centre's deputy director, said there had been 1,014 accidents on Thursday and drunk driving had caused nearly half.

Most involved motorcycles and took place on secondary roads between 4pm and 8pm, Sermsak said.

The first seven days of the 10-day Songkran holiday saw a cumulative decline in the number of accidents, with the total, 3,736, about 500 less than the number during the corresponding period last year.

The province of Chiang Rai had the highest number of accidents and the most injuries, Sermsak said.

The number of deaths was highest in Nakhon Ratchasima, where 15 people lost their lives in road accidents during the first seven days of Songkran. Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Rayong and Songkhla had 14,13, 12 and 11 deaths respectively, Sermsak said.

Only six provinces have reported no traffic fatalities, Trat, Mukdahan, Pattani, Phrae, Ranong, and Samut Songkhram, he said.

Ten provinces had already exceeded the targeted maximums set before the holiday began, Phitsanulok, Lop Buri, Rayong, Phang Nga, Trang, Chumphon, Phichit, Tak, Uttaradit, and Uthai Thani, Sermsak said.

Checkpoints have stopped 988,812 vehicles and charged 38,819 drivers, mostly for riding a motorcycle without a helmet, Sermsak said.

Over the first seven days of Songkran, the Narenthorn Emergency Medical Service Centre's hotline received nearly 700 calls, with the daily number peaking at 131 on Thursday, acting permanent secretary for Public Health Prat Boonyawongwirot said yesterday.

Prat urged people not to call the hotline unless they needed emergency medical services to avoid preventing those who needed the services from getting through.

The festival has also been marred by fights, some of which caused deaths and injuries.

A teacher at Chiang Mai Technical College, Udon Rattanakamnuan, 57, yesterday turned himself in after shooting and injuring four people on Thursday evening.

Witnesses told police Udon had begun fighting with Somsak Tangworarakkul, 46, and Somchai Saelim, 50, after the pair's motorcycle cut in front of his pickup. After loosing the fight, Udon grabbed a gun from his truck and began opening fire at the pair. Both were shot while stray bullets hit passers-by Pubet Saengkaew and Nattaya Kongmongkol, both 22, the police said. Udon was charged with attempted murder.

In the central province of Prachin Buri, a young man was gunned down and three others were injured in Sri Maha Pho district following a brawl between local teens and about 30 teens from Chachoengsao, Inspector Lt-Colonel Narong Nakphong said yesterday.

Chachoengsao resident Thawatchai Kaewsri, 17, was stabbed in the chest during a brawl. Two of his friends were shot afterwards, one fatally. Supasit Phuangjampa, 21 was shot dead, and Saravuth Pomhin, 20, was slightly injured after a teenager on a motorbike opened fire at them.

Later a group of Supasit's friends attacked Nopparat Chatkajornkul, 20, at Sri Maha Pho Hospital, saying he had killed Supasit. They beat the young man unconscious and destroyed his motorcycle. Police arrested 13 of Supasit's friends over the attack on Nopparat.

Two men were killed in fights with teenagers in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Suwit Thavornphan, 56, was stabbed to death following a fight with a group of teenagers while celebrating Songkran in Phrommakhiri district. Suwit was stabbed in the head and body.

Bang Khan district resident Chakkri Chuaykerd, 19, also died from knife wounds, following a fight with a group of teens from another district.

In Angthong, Army Private Sathit Boonprasong, 22, was killed while nine people, including a 14-year-old girl and 13-year-old boy, were injured after a drunken teenager fired a gun into a crowd splashing water on Khao Suk Road in Wiset Chai Chan district. The gunman used the chaos as a chance to flee the scene. Police suspected the teenager had been enraged by a fight the previous day with another group and smuggled a gun into the area to get his own back but the other group had not shown up so he had taken it out on others.

In Kalasin, Senior Sgt-Major Nak Phubaibua of Yang Talad Police Station and about 20 men assaulted seven people, including agriculture official Wutthiwet Akkarasa, 45, and members of his family. The assailants followed the injured people to the hospital and assaulted them again in front of medical staff, Wutthiwet said. He said he had never met Nak before the attack. Nak and his group, which included family members, returned to their Songkran celebrations after the attack as if nothing had happened, a source said.

Yang Talad superintendent Pol Colonel Ronnapob Rimseub said he would ensure justice for both sides. Lt-Colonel Sunan Soisud said the attack might have stemmed from Nak's mistaken belief that his sister had been assaulted by Wutthiwet and his group. Ronnapob said he would question Nak after the Songkran festival was over.

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HK tourists seriously injured

Ten Hong Kong tourists were seriously injured and 40 sustained minor injuries when their bus overturned in Chon Buri during a downpour yesterday, police said.

The coach was found overturned on an elevated road in Muang district at about noon, Police Lieutenant Pisit Kitkhuntod said. Injured passengers were taken to Chon Buri Central Hospital, Pisit added.

A tour guide identified as Lee told police that the group had been returning to Bangkok from Pattaya when their bus flipped over at a sharp curve.

Driver Theerawat Taemsiri was new to the route and lost control of the bus. It skidded off the slippery road and slammed into a roadside bridge. Theerawat was charged with reckless driving injuring others, police said.