One Dead, 8 Missing As Tourist Vehicle Plunges Into Teesta River In North Sikkim

Gangtok: One person was killed, two were badly injured, and eight others are reported to be missing when a vehicle carrying 11 tourists plunged into a deep gorge and tumbled towards the Teesta River in North Sikkim's Mangan district, the police said today.

The police said the incident happened late on Thursday night on the Chungthang-Munsithang Road in North Sikkim when a vehicle carrying tourists from Odisha and Bengal was travelling from Lachung to Lachen. The driver lost control of the vehicle amid heavy rains while negotiating a steep climb on the road.

The vehicle skidded and plunged into the Teesta River, around 1,000 feet below. Superintendent of Police, Mangan, Sonam Detchu Bhutia said, "One body has been recovered so far from a ditch, and two critically injured persons have been rescued. Eight other occupants of the vehicle, including the driver, are still missing."

The police said, rescue operations is currently underway by swift response teams of the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), local administration and the Sikkim Police personnel. Officers said divers and high-altitude rescue units have also been pressed into the rescue efforts, but the difficult terrain is posing a challenge to the rescuers.

The injured have been brought to STNM Hospital in Gangtok for further treatment. Authorities have cordoned off the area, and vehicle movement has been restricted along the entire route.