President of Kyrgyzstan Sadyr Japarov has spoken about a deeply personal tragedy linked to road traffic accidents during a meeting with citizens at the state enterprise Unaa.

Japarov said that his brother and sister-in-law were killed in a traffic accident caused by a drunk driver, The Caspian Post reports via Kyrgyz media.

The driver crossed into oncoming traffic and struck the rear wheel of their car, causing it to overturn. The couple died at the scene, while their four children who were in the vehicle survived.

The president also recalled another tragedy from 2019, when his eldest son, aged 27, was killed in a road accident. At the time, a driver violated traffic rules, crossed a double solid line while overtaking, and struck Japarov’s son, who was riding a motorcycle.

“Thousands of families have similar stories,” Japarov said, stressing that road accidents continue to claim lives and leave lasting pain for many households across the country.