JAKARTA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) -- Indonesian Transportation Minister Jusman Syafii Djamal said that at least 30,000 people are killed in road accidents in Indonesia every year.

    "The figure was taken from the statistics," the minister told a hearing with the House of Representatives here on Thursday.

    The minister said that seeing the big number of victims in road accidents, the relevant agencies should develop synergy in order to help increase safety in roads.

    "The revision of the law on traffic and transportation is really needed to answer challenges developing from time to time in the road and request by the people. Changes in paradigm, including in the management road safety, is needed," the minister added.

UN: Worldwide deaths, economic losses caused by disasters jump in 2008

    GENEVA, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- The number of deaths and economic losses worldwide caused by natural disasters increased dramatically in 2008 compared with the 2000-2007 yearly average, the United Nations said on Thursday.

    In 2008, 321 disasters killed 235,816 people, affected 211 million others and cost a total of 181 billion U.S. dollars, according to figures released by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR).  Full story