Tourist Dies in Sittong Homestay; Third Fatality in Darjeeling Hills This Season

KalimNews, January 15, 2025  : A tragic incident has been reported from Kurseong, a sub-division of Darjeeling district, where a 55-year-old tourist from Purba Bardhaman has passed away while staying at a homestay in Sittong Gram Panchayat. This marks the third death of a tourist in the Darjeeling hills within the recent months.

The tourist, identified as Rajanarayan De, had arrived with a group of eight tourists on Monday. According to sources, De began feeling unwell soon after their arrival, showing symptoms of cold and general discomfort. The owner of the homestay, concerned about his condition, provided medications and an inhaler to alleviate his symptoms, but his condition failed to improve.

In the early hours of Tuesday, around 6:00 AM, the group finding him unconscious, made arrangements to take De to the Rambi Block Primary Health Center. However, despite efforts to revive him, he was declared dead by doctors upon arrival at the facility.

The body was then transferred to the District Hospital in Kalimpong for a postmortem examination, which will determine the exact cause of death. The Rambi Police promptly arrived at the hospital to initiate an investigation and complete the necessary formalities.

Authorities are awaiting the postmortem report to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the death. The incident has raised concerns over the safety and health conditions for tourists visiting the popular hill stations of Darjeeling.