“Compared to other road accidents that have taken place in the district, this one is the worst in terms of casualties,” said Jumla Chief District Officer (CDO), Dipendra Raj Poudel.
Nearly five years ago, 41 people died when a passenger bus belonging to Kakrebihar Yatayat fell off a cliff after the driver lost control at Kitubhir in Dailakh district. Ten passengers were seriously injured. In a similar accident, 28 people died in Birtamode of Kalikot district.
Including Monday’s accident, the number of road accidents along the Karnali Highway has reached 159 since it opened around eight years ago. With 82 road accidents, Kalikot has the worst record in Karnali Zone, followed by Dolpa, which has seen 29 road accidents, and Jumla with 21.
Pay attention to these things if you are fasting on Shrawan Mon...
According to a report compiled by police, 209 people died and 243 were seriously injured in the 159 accidents.
“Most of the accidents occur due to the poor state of the road, untested vehicle conditions, careless driving and sharp twists and turns along the highway where drivers easily lose control,” said CDO Poudel.
Although road contractors have been been renovating eight road sections between the Khidiju area and Jumla, the black-topping has been peeling off during the rainy season and wet winter weather.
“Road condition is a key factor in accidents and should never be neglected,” said an engineer at Jumla Roads Division Office. He further said that they have been investigating the reasons behind the recent deadly accident.
“We feel sorry for the deceased and the injured in the accident. We have requested the District Development Committee (DDC) to provide Rs 25,000 to the family of each victim. This will be of some help to them,” he added.
