Twenty-one road accidents took place along the Muglin-Kotre section of Prithvi Highway in last one month, killing eight people and injuring 33 others, according to the Tanahun District Police Office.

A majority of these accidents, Deputy Superintendent of Police Surendra Bahadur Gurung said, were caused because of poor condition of the 76 km highway section and reckless driving.

Although the district police has been deploying its personnel in different parts of the highway to enforce traffic regulations in order to minimise road accidents, it has not yielded a desired outcome. Road accidents are becoming increasingly common along the Muglin-Kotre section. 

Assistant Chief District Officer Shishir Paudel said there is a general lack of driving safety and traffic knowledge among drivers.

The road condition is poor, but drivers too need to learn to drive slowly, he said.

At least 45 people were killed along the Muglin-Kotre section of the highway in the fiscal year 2015-16.

Police said many incidents were caused because of overspeeding.

Former president of Tanahun Transport Operators Committee Basanta Thapa admitted that reckless driving has been causing many road accidents. But he also sees the road condition as a major contributor to traffic fatalities. 

Transport operator Raj Kumar Shrestha said the Department of Road has not repaired the Muglin-Kotre section of the highway in a long time.