In a tragic series of events within a 24-hour period, the country witnessed three separate road accidents, resulting in the death of at least 19 people and leaving more than 30 others injured, some critically. The incidents occurred in different locations, highlighting a pressing concern for road safety and the need for comprehensive measures to address the recurring accidents.
The most devastating accident took place in Dang district, where a passenger bus en route to Kathmandu from Nepalgunj swerved off the Rapti bridge along the East-West Highway, claiming the lives of twelve individuals and injuring 24 others. Among the deceased were individuals from various regions, including notable figures like leftist intellectual Tara Kanta Pandey. Preliminary investigations attribute the crash to speeding, with the driver citing a broken leaf spring bar as a contributing factor.
In another incident near Setopahara along the Thankot-Chitlang road section in Chandragiri Municipality-4, five people lost their lives as a car skidded off the road and fell 600 meters. The victims were identified as members of a family, including a child. Meanwhile, in Baglung, a jeep traveling to Dhorpatan overturned, resulting in the death of two individuals and injuries to nine others. Brake failure is suspected as the cause of this crash.
Experts emphasize multiple factors contributing to the recurring fatal road crashes, including poor road infrastructure, unfit vehicles, and reckless driving. The absence of safety barriers along roads is noted as a key concern, and there is a call for the establishment of a dedicated road safety council to address these issues comprehensively. The need for enhanced monitoring, stricter regulations, and improved road engineering criteria are crucial to curbing the alarming frequency of road accidents in the country.
