At least 13 people killed in road accident in Nepal

At least 13 people, including 4 women and a child, were killed and 14 others injured today in separate road mishaps in Nepal.

The first accident took place at Pasang Lhamu highway in Madanpur in Nuwakot district when a passenger bus carrying army personnel veered off a highway and fell into a ravine. Five men and four women were killed in the accident.

The microbus carrying army personnel undergoing training at the Trishuli Army Training Centre, Maithali fell around 500 feet off the road, DSP Siddhi Bikram Shah was quoted as saying by 'The Kathmandu Post'.

The deceased are yet to be identified and the injured have been rushed to capital Kathmandu for further treatment. Three others were killed in separate incidents of road accident on Saturday. A ten-year-old boy died when he was hit by a bus in Chitawan district in southern Nepal. A motorcycle rider was killed when he was hit by a tractor in jhapa district.

A 35-year-old man was killed when he was hit by a vehicle in saptari district in eastern Nepal. In Siraha, another 50-year-old person died when a pickup van hit a hand pulling cart. Poor road infrastructure and reckless driving are the leading causes of accidents in Nepal.

According to the WHO, road accidents are the world's eighth leading cause of death. About 70% of the deaths from road accidents occur in developing countries. As per the Nepal's traffic police data, on an average five to seven people are killed in road accidents every day in the country.