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Sukaram Tamang, a resident of Dhapakhel in Lalitpur originally from Panauti, Kavre, was severely injured when a tipper truck collided with his motorcycle at around 4 am on March 15. He succumbed to his injuries a few days later while undergoing treatment at the National Trauma Center. The pillion rider, Ramesh Tamang, sustained serious injuries.

In a separate incident on March 23, Sabina Gurung (25) died after a microbus traveling from Chitwan to Kathmandu crashed near Nagdhunga. Nine others were injured in the accident. The condition of three of them was said to be serious.

Similarly, on March 15, 18-year-old Riwaz Acharya was killed in a collision between two speeding motorcycles near Fulbari Gate in Tokha-1, Kathmandu. Road accidents have surged in Kathmandu, the capital city, in recent years. Traffic police data reveals that two to three people die daily in such incidents. Data shows the involvement of two-wheelers in road accidents is much higher compared to four-wheelers.

According to Binod Ghimire, chief of the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office, nighttime accidents result in higher casualties than daytime crashes. Between mid-July last year and March-end this year, the valley recorded 4,267 accidents which claimed 135 lives. Of these deaths, 95 involved motorcycles or scooters, while 41 were linked to four-wheelers. Additionally, 167 people suffered serious injuries, and 4,903 sustained minor ones. During this period, 4,352 two-wheelers and 3,344 four-wheelers were involved in accidents.

Between mid-February to mid-March alone, 793 accidents were recorded in the valley. Seventeen people died in these accidents, while 19 were seriously injured and 719 sustained minor injuries. In the latter half of March, 10 fatalities were reported, along with seven serious injuries and 237 minor injuries.

Traffic police data shows 26 to 30 accidents occur daily in Kathmandu Valley on average. Over the past three years, the valley has witnessed 23,823 road accidents, resulting in 490 deaths and 718 serious injuries. Traffic police estimate that 30 percent of those critically injured may later die from their wounds.

Likewise, Nepal Police data shows 25,640 accidents were recorded across the country between mid-July last year and mid-February. A total of 1,633 people died in these accidents, while 4,451 were seriously injured. On average, 63 accidents are reported across the country every day, resulting in 7-10 fatalities and 80-90 injuries. Approximately 225 people die in road crashes across the country each month.

Ghimire attributes most accidents to driver negligence, particularly speeding and overconfidence. Common causes for two-wheeler crashes include reckless overtaking, unsecured helmets, drunk driving, mobile phone use, and traffic rule violations. Pillion riders without helmets face severe injury risks even in minor collisions, he added. “Fatalities are less likely at lower speeds. Many drivers are skilled but ignore rules; some treat roads like racetracks,” he added.

According to traffic police officials, it is difficult to provide treatment to victims, especially in cases involving uninsured vehicles. “Many motorcycles lack valid registration or insurance which delays medical care for victims,” Ghimire added. Deepak Giri, spokesperson for the Nepal Police Traffic Division, said that 70 percent of accidents involve two-wheelers, followed by jeeps, cars, vans, buses, and microbuses.

To curb accidents, the Kathmandu Valley Traffic Office recently launched the “Two Minutes with Two-Wheelers” campaign, engaging reckless drivers to educate them on traffic rules. Giri told ApEx that they have received positive feedback from the campaign. “Overconfidence among drivers still remains a significant issue,” he said, adding that 200–300 individuals are penalized for speeding or drunk driving every day.

Police say speeding, intoxication, vehicle defects improper overtaking and pedestrian negligence as leading causes. “Urban congestion, poor roads and mechanical failures are some of the causes of road accidents,” Dinesh Acharya, central spokesperson for Nepal Police, said. “Even educated people are flouting traffic rules. Responsible driving is key to reducing accidents.” Data shows more than 50 percent of road accidents involve drivers in the 26-40 age group. 

Two persons died and 14 others were injured in a microbus-scooter collision at Kalimati in Bhanu Municipality-10, Damauli along the Dumre-Besisahar road section on Sunday.

One male and one female died in the accident, said DSP Ashok Thapa of the District Police Office. The female was traveling on the scooter and the man was a passenger of the microbus, it has been said.  

The microbus (Ba 2 Kha 4022) en route to Lamjung from Dumre collided head-on with the scooter (Ga 2 6 Pa 4058) this afternoon.  

The scooter rider who was severely injured in the accident was rushed to the Chitwan Medical College for treatment.

Police have arrested microbus driver Man Bahadur Ghale of Sindhupalchowk for the investigation.

Salzburg Global held a four-day accelerator workshop in Colombo, Sri Lanka. 

The program organized for Salzburg Global Fellows of its Asia Peace Innovators Forum provided a dynamic platform for peer learning, the advancement of six pioneering peacebuilding initiatives, and the strengthening of regional and global networks among 30 Fellows.

Meanwhile, Salzburg Global through this event convened three of nearly 200 total Fellows in Salzburg, Austria for capacity-building sessions.

The Salzburg Global said that the project would foster leadership, economic independence, and advocacy capacity for marginalized women while ensuring Indigenous voices are heard in development planning, reads a statement issued by Salzburg Global.

Similarly, the project amplifies the voices of women in conflict zones, emphasizing feminist peacebuilding in India, Kenya, Myanmar, the Philippines, South Africa, South Korea, and Sri Lanka, the Salzburg Global said in a statement.

Likewise, this project empowers young adults between the ages of 18 and 35 years old in conflict-affected regions through peace books—arts-based tools for storytelling, healing, and peacebuilding.

In addition, this initiative preserves and promotes Indigenous peoples' agricultural practices, recognizing their vital role in climate adaptation and food security, the Salzburg Global said.

Furthermore, throughout the workshop, 30 Fellows of the Asia Peace Innovators Forum collaborated intensively, refining their projects into actionable proposals.

Meanwhile, Salzburg Global has called on peacebuilding organizations, donors, and supporters to engage with these transformative projects and explore opportunities for collaboration.

Security has been tightened in Kathmandu on Sunday in view of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party’s protest.

A large number of security personnel has been deployed in the places designated by the government as restricted areas.

Security personnel have been deployed in front of Singha Durbar, Parliament building, Maitighar and Baluwatar among other restricted areas since this morning.

The RPP has announced that it would breach the restricted area today.  

A meeting of the party held on Thursday had decided to stage a demonstration in the restricted area.

A leader of the RPP said that they are holding a protest today demanding that the party leaders arrested during the demonstration on March 28 be released at the earliest.

Two persons including a journalist lost their lives during the violent protest of pro-monarchy supporters in Tinkune on March 28.

The RPP has been staging protests demanding the reinstatement of monarchy.