CHITWAN: As many as 19 people have gone missing in the section of Trishuli River in Chitwan district over a period of one year. They disappeared in the river after their vehicles plying Narayangadh-Muglin road section, plunged into it over different times.

The 36 kilometre distance along the Narayangadh-Mugling stretch and 20 kilometre from Mugling to Mauwakhola along the Pritvhi Highway falls in the Chitwan district.

According to the District Traffic Police Office, Chitwan, altogether 27 serious accidents took place in a year's time along this section. These incidents claimed the lives of 44 persons while 91 others were left injured.

The number of missing persons is very high in the review period compared to the last year. The DTPO shared that only three accidents took place in the previous fiscal year, killing two persons and injuring 13 others.

The Office said that seven persons died in seven road accidents in the fiscal year 2071/072 while three had gone missing.  In the fiscal year, former Home Minister Madhav Ghimire and another one travelling by a jeep went missing in Trishuli River.

Chief of the Chitwan DTPO Santosh Panta said that the road accidents have increased much in this fiscal year as the mountains along the road stretch have shaken while widening the road which had already been enfeebled by the Gorkha Earthquake. He, however, admitted that the drivers were not cautioned despite the poor engineering of the roads.

Likewise, Superintendent of Police Dipak Thapa at the Chitwan DPO, said that the number of road accidents increased this year due to sorry state of roads and carelessness of the drivers too.