Nepal’s highways of death
Nepal’s highways of death
Nepal’s highways are one of the most dangerous in the world and the chances of a bus, truck or car having a crash are more than 100 times higher than in Japan and 10 times higher than even India (see chart).
One person died in every five accidents in Nepal in the last year, whereas the figure for Japan is one death in every 150. Nepal’s fatality rate per accident goes higher as one travels westwards, with nine deaths for every 10 accidents in the far-west. Kathmandu has seen a dramatic decline in traffic fatalities, with only one death for every 33 accidents.
More people have died on Nepal’s highways in the past decade than in the 10 year conflict. Nearly 10,000 people have died on the highways since the war ended in 2006, with the total annual fatalities doubling in that time.
15 July 2013: Bus from Baitadi went off the road in Dhading. 3 killed. Driver had been at the wheel for 14 hours straight, had been speeding, and may have fallen asleep.
6 July 2013: Bus fell off the Madi Bridge in Tanahu. 11 killed. Witnesses said the driver swerved to save children crossing the bridge.
12 January 2013: A bus veered off the Bhim Datta Highway in Doti at 3 AM and fell 700 metres into the valley below. 33 killed. The speeding bus skidded on ice.
13 October 2011: Bus fell into the Sun Kosi River on Khurkot-Nepalthok section of under construction section of BP Highway. 44 killed. Over-crowded bus should not have been plying on dangerous, incomplete mountain road.
