Kathmandu, December 22

Two persons were killed and three others injured in separate road accidents in Kathmandu Valley today, traffic police said.

Raj Kumar Ghising, 32, of Makawanpur died after the mini truck he was driving veered off the road and fell into a gorge around 50 metres below in Godavari Municipality-9, Lalitpur. Traffic police said Ghising, who was critically injured in the accident, breathed his last while undergoing treatment at Patan Hospital.

Two others — a five-year-old and a seven-year-old children — also received minor injuries and are receiving treatment at the same hospital.

Similarly, Prakash Tamang, 16, of Okhaldunga was killed when a car hit the motorcycle he was riding in Balkumari of Lalitpur. Critically injured Tamang died while undergoing treatment at the B&B Hospital. Traffic police have arrested the car driver for legal action.

In a separate accident, Jitenra Raj Pandey, 52, of Lalitpur was injured when the motorcycle he was riding, a tipper and a taxi collided with one another in Sinamangal. His left leg has been fractured, traffic police said. He is undergoing treatment at the KMC Hospital. Police have arrested the tipper and car driver for further investigation.

According to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, as many as 57 persons were killed and 1,719 others injured in a total of 2,477 road accident recorded in the Valley from mid-July to mid-December. Pedestrians and motorcyclists account for nearly 40 per cent of all road fatalities in the Valley. As many as 181 persons were killed and 4,115 injured, 201 critically, in 5,530 road accidents last fiscal.

The accidents have been attributed to drivers’ negligence and human errors, drink driving, mechanical problems, speeding, rampant overtaking and pedestrians’ faults. Around eight lakh vehicles ply the Valley roads every day. Of them, over 60 per cent are two-wheelers.