Karnali Province: 392 people died in road accidents in three years

SURKHET, July 25: As many as 392 people lost their lives in 992 road accidents in Karnali Province in the last three years. During these three years, the biggest accident happened in Mugu on 12 October 2021. As many as 32 people lost their lives and 13 others were injured in a road accident in Mugu. A bus (Bhe. 1 Kha 3167) going from Nepalgunj to Mugu Headquarters Gamgadhi had met with an accident in the Pinatpane River located in Chhayanath Rara Municipality-7.

On May 25, 2022, four people died in a bus accident in Dailekh's Athabis Municipality-3, Sisne. A bus (Ma 1 Kha 660) going from Kalikot to Nepalgunj met with an accident because of carrying more passengers than its capacity. In the financial year 2078/79, there were 402 road accidents across Karnali Province. According to the police data, 197 people lost their lives in these accidents.

According to the Nepal Police Highway Safety and Traffic Management Office, Surkhet, there were 236 road accidents in fiscal year 2076/77, 291 in fiscal year 2077/78 and 402 in the fiscal year 2078/79. 

In three years, 1200 people were injured in road accidents in Karnali. According to the data, 97 people died in the fiscal year 2076/77, 98 people in 2077/78 and 197 people died in 2078/79. According to the traffic police, the number of accidents decreased due to the lockdown due to the coronavirus infection in the financial year 2076/77.

If we look at the data of three years, the greatest number of accidents involved motorcycles. According to statistics, many people in the age group of 16 to 40 years have died in road accidents. Among them, 172 people in the age group of 20 to 25 years lost their lives.

Speeding is the main cause of road accidents. According to the office, there have been 539 road accidents in three years due to high speed. According to the data, 199 accidents were due to mechanical reasons, 47 due to road conditions, 35 due to negligence, 29 due to overtaking, 38 due to violation of traffic rules and 25 due to weather.

Rs 70.5 million collected in revenue

According to Nepal Police Highway Safety and Traffic Management Office, Surkhet, over Rs 70.5 million in revenue was collected in three years. The office has collected the revenue amount for traffic rule violation and other fines.

In the fiscal year 2076/77, the office collected a revenue of Rs 17.2643 million, Rs 24.489 million in the year 2077/78 and Rs 33.263 million in the year 2078/79.

According to police, there are challenges in reducing accidents due to lack of manpower in road safety and traffic management, low availability of resources, road conditions, carelessness of vehicle drivers and lack of use of technology in Karnali Province.

There are 218 traffic police in Karnali. According to which, 63 vehicles have to be monitored per traffic policeman. According to the traffic police, accidents are increasing due to non-standard roads, extremely narrow turns, lack of road safety infrastructure and road signs, potholes and landslides.