Road accidents rise in Karnali Province

By Prem Raj Simkhada,Kalikot, Aug. 16: More than 1,000 road accidents occurred in Karnali Province in the last fiscal year. In the 1,086 road accidents registered in 10 districts of the province, 112 persons died and 2,077 sustained injuries. 

According to the Nepal Police Highway Safety and Traffic Management Office Surkhet, the highest number of human casualties from road accidents were recorded in Surkhet district. 

A total of 673 road accidents occurred in Surkhet district in a year, killing 28 and injuring 1,184 persons. 

Information officer of the Office and Police Inspector Bhupendra Jung Shahi said that although human casualties were low, the number of injured increased in the last fiscal year. 

After Surkhet, the second-highest number of road accidents occurred in Salyan district. According to traffic police data, 19 persons died and 271 others were injured in 104 road accidents in Salyan since July last year. 

In terms of human losses, Rukum West was after Surkhet with 23 deaths and 155 injuries in 80 road accidents.

Similarly, 60 accidents occurred in Dailekh district in a year, in which 10 persons died and 138 were injured.

The number of deaths due to road accidents in Kalikot and Jumla districts remained equal. There were 42 incidents in Kalikot, with seven deaths and 96 injuries. Similalry, in Jumla, seven died and 60 persons were injured in 35 road accidents.

Likewise, eight persons died and 39 were injured in 13 accidents in Mugu district. 

According to police data, five persons died and 87 were injured in 52 road accidents in Jajarkot district.

In the Himalayan district of Humla, 17 road accidents occurred in the fiscal year killing four and maiming 26. 

Local Nabaraj Mahatara said that it is sad that 17 accidents took place even in Humla, which has the least access to the road. 

Dolpa is the district that suffered the least damage from road accidents in terms of human loss. There were just 12 road accidents in Dolpa in which one person died and 21 were injured. 

Police Inspector Shahi said that although the number of deaths due to road accidents has decreased compared to the last fiscal year 2022/23, the number of injured persons has increased.

In the previous fiscal year 2022/23, the number of vehicle accidents was 546 in which the number of deaths was 123, while the number of injured was 1,090. In the fiscal year 2023/24, the number of accidents increased by 996.