New Delhi:  The Supreme Court Thursday expressed concern over 14,926 people being killed in accidents due to potholes on roads across the country in the last five years.

A bench headed by Justice Madan B Lokur said a large number of deaths caused due to potholes was “unacceptable” and was “probably more than those killed on the border or by the terrorists.”

The bench, also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Hemant Gupta, said the number of deaths from 2013 to 2017 in accidents due to potholes indicated that the authorities concerned were not maintaining the roads.

The bench sought a response from the Centre on the report filed by the Supreme Court Committee on Road Safety, headed by former apex court judge Justice K S Radhakrishnan.

The bench has posted the matter for further hearing in January.