JHAPA: Road accidents are on the rise in Durgapur-Surungachowk and Maidhar-Kerkha road stretches in Jhapa. Over three dozen accidents were reported in the road stretches in the first four months of the current fiscal. Twenty five persons, including five women lost their lives in the accidents while over 50 others have been injured. Similarly, the records show that 67 persons lost their lives in as many as 144 accidents that were recorded in the district in the fiscal year 2071/72. “Of them, 12 were women and three kids,” informed Traffic police sub-inspector Yam Kumar Khadka. According to Khadka, most of the accidents happened during mornings and evenings. “Unattended cattle are the major reason behind the accidents that take place from Maidhar to Lakhanpur area,” said Khadka, adding that his office was organising various programmes to raise awareness about traffic rules in a bid to minimuse accidents.