Uttara Kannada: 694 Road Accident Deaths in Three Years Spark Urgent Demand for Super-Specialty Hospital
The lack of advanced emergency medical facilities is being cited as a key reason for the rising death toll in the district.
KARWAR, October 7: A severe shortage of advanced medical care, particularly a super-specialty hospital, is contributing to a growing number of fatalities from road accidents in the Uttara Kannada district. According to official data, a staggering 694 people have lost their lives in traffic incidents over the last three years.
In light of these alarming figures, residents and community leaders are urging the state government to take immediate and practical steps toward establishing a super-specialty hospital in the district.
Uttara Kannada is one of the largest districts geographically, but it lacks a high-level hospital equipped for critical emergencies. As a result, accident victims and patients in serious condition must be transported to hospitals in other districts, often far away. Tragically, many lives are lost during these long and difficult journeys.
Statistics released by the police department paint a grim picture of the situation:
- 2023: 251 people died in 236 major accidents.
- 2024: 264 people were killed in 249 road accidents.
- 2025 (to date): 179 lives have been lost in 157 accidents.
The total number of injuries is also alarmingly high. Over the same three-year period, 4,529 people were injured in 1,953 separate incidents. Police data also highlighted that in the last two years, 53 of the fatalities involved motorbike riders who were not wearing a helmet.
Officials believe several factors are contributing to the rise in accidents. The expansion of the national highway has led to a significant increase in vehicle traffic. However, incomplete construction and unscientific road design in some areas are making travel more dangerous.
With the number of accidents continuing to climb, the public demand for a local super-specialty hospital has become more urgent than ever. Citizens say the time for election promises is over and are calling on their elected representatives and the government to turn words into action and make the hospital a reality.
