LUSAKA, Jan. 2 (Xinhua) -- At least 20 people were killed in road accidents during Zambia's New Year holiday, the police said on Tuesday.

Police spokesperson Esther Mwata-Katongo said in a statement that 16 fatal accidents were recorded out of a total of 212 accidents from December 29 to January 2 in the country.

He said 33 were serious accidents in which 68 people were seriously injured and 50 were classified as slight accidents in which 96 people sustained minor injuries while 113 were damages-only accident in which no person had injuries.

She said when compared to last year, the country recorded a 25 reduction in road accidents when the country recorded 237 accidents, with 17 being fatal.

While revealing that the country was generally peaceful in terms of crime during the period, she noted that a total number of 237 crimes were recorded with 164 arrests.