Most accidents occur due to speeding and negligence of drivers

Kathmandu, February 25

A 10-month-old baby was killed and two others of a family injured when a water tanker hit them in Bafal yesterday.

Sulabh Karki died in the accident while his father Rameshwor Karki and mother Subhadra of Thakre-3 of Dhading district, and currently residing in Bafal, were injured in the accident. According to Metropolitan Traffic Police Division, the incident had occurred at around 7:15pm when the couple were walking along the road with Subhadra carrying the baby boy.

Seriously injured in the accident, the boy died while undergoing treatment in Balmaitri Hospital at around 6:30am today.

MTPD said the couple are being treated at Manmohan Hospital and are said to be out of danger. The Metropolitan Police Circle, Swoyambhu has arrested the tanker driver to proceed with legal action.

Santosh Singh Karki, 35, of Udayapur was critically injured after a tipper hit the motorcycle he was riding in Koteshwor yesterday.

As many as 99 persons have been killed and 2,431 others injured, 112 critically, in 3,228 road accidents in the Valley so far this fiscal. According to MTPD, the Valley records an average of 400 road accidents every month. Water tankers and tippers account for nearly 30 per cent of accidents due to negligence, speeding and non-compliance with traffic rules.

The victims of accidents caused by tippers and water tankers are motorcycle and scooter riders, and pedestrians, said SP Lokendra Malla. On February 12, a person died after a tipper hit the motorcycle he was riding at Thankot. The deceased was Srikrishna Khadka, 22, of Madhumalla-4, Morang district.

On January 25, Bimala Basnet, 42, of Thulo Sirubari in Sindhupalchok district, was killed and her husband critically injured when a tipper hit the motorbike they were riding in Suryabinayak of Bhaktapur along the Araniko Highway.

A taxi driver was killed in a road accident at Sorhakhutte on January 24. He was 22-year-old Shyam Bahadur Pradhan of Kavre district. MTPD warned that the tippers and water tankers were under special surveillance.