9. Karnali Highway – Nepal
Does the above photo give you a sense of claustrophobia when you consider how narrow those roads look, even just for scooters? Now imagine a big car on the Karnali Highway which stretches out for 155 miles in Nepal and sees roughly 50 people die every single year.
The road is integral for people living in Surkhet who depend on the town of Jumla for survival. When there was a monsoon back in 2010 that led to a closure of the highway, several people in the town of Surkhet died as a result of starvation before the road was opened again. When you learn that 64% of the population in Surkhet live in poverty (including 60-75% of the children being malnourished), you may further understand the vital importance of this dangerous road.
When an investigation was done back in 2011 as to the safety of the road, it found that more than 85% of it remained significantly unsafe.
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