Butwal, May 25: Two major road accidents in Lumbini Province this month have highlighted the rising number of vehicle crashes and fatalities in the province.
On May 12, five people died when a passenger bus returning from the Supadeurali temple fell off a road in the Durgaphant-Kurule area of Panini Rural Municipality. The bus, bearing registration number Ga 1 Dha 504, had come from the Parbat district. Two people died on the spot while three others succumbed during treatment. Police suspect brake failure or loss of control caused the crash, but the exact reason could not be confirmed after the driver also died in the accident.
Earlier, on April 30, 20 people were killed in a jeep accident in the Jhuljala area of Thawang Rural Municipality. The Bolero jeep carrying passengers to a religious fair plunged around 800 meters off a dirt road. Police said the narrow road and overloading were likely causes. Rescue operations continued for 13 hours.
Data from the Provincial Police Office show road accidents and casualties have steadily increased in Lumbini Province. From fiscal year 2022/23 to the first week of May this fiscal year, 4,502 accidents were recorded, leaving 504 dead and 7,544 injured. In fiscal year 2022/23, only 892 accidents had been recorded with 462 deaths.
Police officials said the sharp rise in reported accidents is partly linked to mandatory recording of even minor crashes in the Disaster Information and Reporting System this year.
Motorcycles account for the highest number of accidents. Of the total crashes recorded this fiscal year, 63.17 per cent involved motorcycles. A total of 3,933 motorcycle accidents were reported, followed by 608 involving jeeps and cars. Buses, trucks, microbuses, tractors and other vehicles also contributed to the growing accident toll across the province.
People’s News Monitoring Service
Login to add a comment