KATHMANDU: 1,171 Nepalis who went for foreign employment have lost their lives in the first eight months of the current fiscal year.

According to the secretariat of the Foreign Employment Board, the Nepalis died in connection with foreign employment from mid-July to mid-February.

A total of 1,138 men and 33 women have lost their lives due to various accidents and illnesses.

A total of Rs 579.6 million has been provided as compensation to the families of the deceased, the board said. The board has been providing Rs. 700,000 as financial assistance to the next of kin of a worker who dies in the course of foreign employment.

Lately, the number of deaths due to foreign employment seems to be increasing. A total of 661 people lost their lives in the fiscal year 2019/20 while 1,242 people died in 2020/21.

The government has opened the door for foreign employment in 110 countries institutionally and 178 individually.

Of the Nepalis who have gone for foreign employment, 90 percent are working in Malaysia, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and UAE alone.

Malaysia has the highest percentage of 27.6 percent. Qatar has 26.7 percent, Saudi Arabia 20.8 percent and the UAE 14 percent.