Kathmandu, April 5

A five-year crime statistics published by Nepal Police show that the incidents of suicide is on the gradual rise with no sign of waning.

As many as 3,977 suicide cases were recorded in the fiscal 2011-12 compared to 3,974 in 2012-13, 4,504 in 2013-14, 4,332 in 2014-15 and 4,667 in 2015-16. This is more than double the road traffic fatalities in the period. At least 1,810 were killed in road accidents in 2015-16.

The statistics show that around 13 persons committed suicide daily in 2015-16.

Of 4,667, most people killed themselves by hanging (3,366), followed by poisoning (1,183), jumping off a building/cliff (65), self-immolation (30), use of weapons (13), electrocution (4) and drowning (6). Kathmandu Valley reported 400 suicide cases during the period.

The report said frequent cases of suicides by children were a matter of major concern. In 2014-15, 192 minors, including 89 girls, killed themselves. “This is a testimony to how suicide has become a pressing reality that impacts individuals, families, societies and the nation,” SP Pradhyumna Kumar Karki said.

“Mental health specialists and primary care providers should provide clinical care to the bereaved ones,”added SP Karki.

Youths, divorced and single men or women, police and military personnel, professional groups, members of a broken family, housewives, victims of sexual abuse and drug abusers are high risk groups prone to suicide, said the report. At least 2,262 persons have committed suicide in the first six months of the current fiscal 2016-17.

According to World Health Organisation’s recent report ‘Prevent Suicide’, over 800,000 people commit suicide every year in the world. It says one person commits suicide every 40 seconds.