Bangkok - Road accidents claimed 278 lives and injured 2,996 people during the first four of the "seven dangerous days of New Year holidays," officials said Saturday.

Thailand's Road Safety Centre said 2,793 road accidents were reported on the kingdom's highways from Tuesday to Friday.

Thailand officially started a five-day New Year's break on Wednesday, but the days before and after the holidays are deemed dangerous for motorists as many vacationers leave early or arrive a day late to beat the holiday traffic.

On Friday, 464 accidents occurred, killing 52 people and injuring 492 others, the centre said.

More than 40 per cent of the road accidents were attributed to drunk driving.

The holiday tragedies also included a deadly fire in a popular Bangkok pub that claimed up to 61 lives.

The Santika Pub caught fire shortly after midnight on Thursday, with the conflagration reportedly sparked by a fireworks display on the second floor to ring in the New Year.

Some 59 people, mostly well-to-do Thais aged between 20 to 30, died in the fire or in hospital on Thursday with another two succumbing to their injuries Friday, The Nation online news swervice reported. (dpa)