Authorities Saturday moved quickly to assure that the necessary road safety measures were in place after an accident in Laamu Atoll link road left one dead and another critically injured.
Doctors were unable to save the life of the other injured in the accident and had been pronounced dead upon reaching the hospital.
Director of the Gan Hospital said that the surviving man had been sent to Male for further treatment as his condition deteriorated due to the injuries he had sustained.
The fatal accident had sparked public concern over the link road turning into the one in Addu which had claimed many lives over the years.
Police spokesperson assured that the necessary road safety measures were in place and traffic cops frequently patrol the link road.
Laamu Atoll council president Yoosuf Amir agreed insisting that Friday's accident was not down to a lack of safety measures.
"We refuse to believe that the accident was down to the condition of the road. It really doesn't matter how strong the safety measures are, if drivers are reckless," Amir said.
He said most accidents occur on Laamu link road because reckless drivers ignore or fail to heed the traffic signs.
The Link Road connecting the island wards of southernmost Addu atoll had also been developed with China’s free aid.
The Link connects Fonadhoo, airport based Kahdhoo, the industrial island Maandhoo and the largest island Gan. The entire road measures 17 km.
The link is a Chinese Government funded project, amounting to MVR 171.7 million. The agreement for the project was signed on November 2014 and the project began on December 15, 2014.
The Laamu Link was designed by CCCC Highway, the same contractor of the Male' Hulhule' Bridge. The Link is divided by a barrier, with traffic flowing on two sides and with higher safety standards.
