Sikkim: Tourist Vehicle Plunges into Teesta River, 1 Dead, 8 Missing
The injured have been transported to STNM Hospital in Gangtok for treatment.
GANGTOK— A devastating accident occurred in North Sikkim’s Mangan district on Thursday night when a tourist vehicle carrying 11 individuals, including 10 tourists and a driver, plunged nearly 1,000 feet into the Teesta River near Munsithang along the Lachen-Lachung highway.
According to police reports, one person has been confirmed dead, two others sustained critical injuries, and eight individuals remain missing. The injured have been transported to STNM Hospital in Gangtok for treatment.
The tourists hailed from various states, including Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, and Tripura. Among the missing are BJP Mahila Morcha’s State General Secretary Itishree Jena and her son from Odisha.
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Rescue operations are underway, with teams from the Indian Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sikkim Police, and local authorities working tirelessly under challenging terrain and weather conditions to locate the missing individuals.
The cause of the accident is under investigation, but initial assessments suggest that the vehicle skidded off the hilly road at a precarious turn, a known accident-prone zone.
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The Odisha government has expressed deep concern over the incident. Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has dispatched a team to Sikkim to assist in rescue operations and provide support to the affected families.
