Major Road Accidents

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Himachali Roads Death Traps

On an average three persons lose life daily in road accidents

 Devender Verma

The lifeline of hill state, roads, are turning out to be death traps for many. No doubt plans and projects are made to curb the number of accidents on serpentine roads of Himachal, but these remain confined to files only. As a result every year about 1,100 innocent persons lose life in approximate 3,000 accidents on deadly and potholed roads of the state. In other words we can say that on an average three persons lose life and 40 other are left handicapped daily. The state police tighten its grip over violators of traffic rules and those charged with overloading, but with the passage of time the enthusiasm and operation of the police too diminishes. The department orders a magisterial probe every time any major accident occurs, but its findings never come out or are implemented. The major reason behind road accidents is overloading which is a direct failure of the transport department. The recent example is the bus accident in Shillai area of Sirmaur district. The bus was inviting danger as 58 passengers were filled in it. Resultantly 18 of them lost their lives while 38 suffered injuries in major accident. These lives could have been saved if bus was not overloaded. Notably Traffic Tourist and Railways (TTR) wing of Himachal Police identified 536 black spots, including 210 spots on national highway and 326 on other roads, in a survey conducted by them in 2007. According to records of TTR Wing, 3,090 people lost their lives while 15,618 suffered serious injuries in 8,870 road accidents in last three years. The further analysis of report reveals that out of total 3,090 deaths in road accidents, 2006 were men, 947 women and 37 children. The wing conducted a survey on road accidents reported from 2006 to 2012. 314 black spots were identified in the survey. 4488 road accidents occurred on these black spots in six years, in which 1,408 persons lost their lives while 6,844 faced injuries.

Major Road Accidents

* April 2014:  18 people died and 47 bus accident in Shillai in Sirmaur

* May 8, 2013: 40 people died when a private bus carrying into Beas River in Jhiri village of Mandi district

* April 30, 2013: 10 people died in a road accident in Hamirpur district

* April 14, 2013: 12 youth died in accident in Bharmaur of Chamba district

* August 14, 2013: 15 people were killed in a bus accident in Lahaul- Spiti.

*  October 25, 2013: 32 people lost their lives in a bus accident in Bilaspur.

*  November 2, 2013: Five people were killed in a bus accident in Sarkaghat.

* April 4, 2013: 10 people were killed in a bus accident in Chamba.

* May 8, 2013: 44 people were killed in a bus accident in Jhidi.

*  September 10, 2012: 20 people died and 30 injured as a HRTC bus plunged into a deep gorge near Ashapuri in Palampur of Kangra district

* October 24, 2011: 15 people died and 30 were injured when a HRTC bus fell into in a deep gorge on Bandla-Bialspur link road

* August 11, 2012: 53 people died and 44 injured in a bus accident in Chamba distric