Kathmandu, Jan. 26 -- This Beni-bound bus veered off the road and fell into the Trisuli River on 23 August last year, killing 8 passengers and injuring dozens. Like in most other highway mishaps, there was no investigation and no lessons learnt. Photo: SHANKAR SHRESTHA/RSS Nearly 24,000 people died on Nepal's roads in the last 10 years. In comparison, 17,000 people were killed in the 10 years of the Maoist armed conflict. Covid killed about 12,000 Nepalis.

Nepal's highways are deadlier than war or pestilence.

Numbers are numbing. But although this epidemic of fatalities is now one of the biggest causes of death nationwide, it gets scant attention from governments, the public and media.

Nepalis have come to accept death on roads as a p...