NEPAL – Heartbreak engulfed a wedding party in Baitadi district after their bus veered off course Thursday night, resulting in eight deaths and widespread injuries. The accident in Purchaudi Municipality at approximately 8 PM left rescuers racing against time.
DSP Deepak Rai detailed how the baraat bus flipped, injuring 45 of its 60 occupants. Local clinics handled 16 cases, with the gravely wounded airlifted or transported to superior medical hubs.
Thankfully, the couple was unscathed, journeying separately. District chief Krishna Thapa oversaw the response, coordinating Nepal Army, police, armed squads, and community members in a heroic extraction operation.
While the precise trigger eludes investigators, broader trends alarm authorities. Nepal’s road fatalities have soared, from 4,999 accidents ten years prior to 7,669 this fiscal year – 190 dead, 278 grave collisions.
The ripple effects extend to the economy, with World Bank data showing losses ballooning threefold since 2007 to 1.5% of national output. Strikingly unequal, crashes devastate the marginalized: over 70% fatalities involve walkers, bikers, or two-wheeler riders, whose families spiral into destitution from treatment expenses and wage gaps.
With vehicle proliferation and patchy infrastructure fueling this epidemic, Nepal must prioritize safety overhauls. The loss of eight souls in this wedding convoy poignantly illustrates the perils lurking on every bend.