Hanoi (VNA) –Along with efforts of ministries, sectors and localities, it is crucial tostrengthen communications to improve public awareness of ensuring safety whileparticipating in the traffic, Deputy Prime Minister Tran Luu Quang has stressed.

Chairing a national meeting on April 6 to review the protection of trafficsafety and order in the first quarter of this year and sketch out tasks for thenext quarter, Quang, who is alsoChairman of the National Traffic Safety Committee, said that more drasticmeasures should be rolled out, with strict punishments on violations.

He asked for closer cooperationamong the administrations at all levels with relevant forces in ensuring trafficsafety.

According to ViceChairman of the committee Khuat Viet Hung, in the firstquarter of 2023, falls of 15.43% and 15.23% were seen in the number of traffic accidents and fatality, respectively, to 428 cases and 258 deaths.

However, a number ofserious accidents happened in the period, killing and injuring many people, hesaid, stressing that the major reason behind the cases was violations in thelaw and regulations on traffic safety.

At the meeting, participantsalso discussed the search and rescue for victims of the recent helicopter crash.

The Bell-505 helicopter, owned by the Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company underthe Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, got an accident at about 5:06pm on April 5in the sea area of Gia Luan commune in Cat Hai district of Hai Phong city whilecarrying four Vietnamese tourists on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay.

Ho Minh Tan, ViceDirector of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam, said that the location of the helicopter has been defined, and the bodies of four victims found, along with debris from the craft. Currently, search and rescueactivities are continuing, he said./.