Road accident kills six tourists in Sikkim

This is the worst accident involving tourists in Sikkim in the recent past. Thousands of tourists, most of them from Bengal, visit Sikkim every year during the peak seasons of March-April-May and October-November.(Representative Photo)

Pramod Giri, HT, Siliguri: Six tourists -- two from Bengal and four from Odisha -- were killed in a road accident in Sikkim on Tuesday night. Two critically injured have been admitted in a private hospital, Gangtok. The driver was also injured.

This is the worst accident involving tourists in Sikkim in the recent past. Thousands of tourists, most of them from Bengal, visit Sikkim every year during the peak seasons of March-April-May and October-November.

Two families from Bengal and Odisha were returning from Lachung in North Sikkim when their vehicle fell from a hillock near Tashi View Point, about 6 km from Gangtok.

“Six of the eight tourists died on the spot,” said Bijay Subba, station house officer of Sadar Police Station, Gangtok.

Subba said, “Three including two tourists and the driver of the vehicle were admitted to the hospital. The driver is from North Sikkim.”

“Among those died are two children and two women. The Bengal tourists are from North 24 Parganas district,” said Subba.

The tourists reached Gangtok on May 28 and put up at Joden Hotel on Tibet Road. On May 29, they left for Lachung in North Sikkim. On Tuesday they were returning to Gangtok when the accident happened at 10 pm.

Among the dead were Michael Bag, Shefali Bag, Soven Raj Bag and B Sujata from Odisha. Tripana Dandapath (6) and Jasmita Dandapath are from North 24 Parganas, said the police officer.

“The cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained,” said D B Giri, the superintendent of police, east district in Sikkim. The family members of the tourists have already been informed and they were likely to reach Gangtok by Wednesday evening.