Gangtok, Oct. 12: Four cases of suicide were reported in the hill state over the past 24 hours, setting the alarm ringing about the rising rate of such incidents here.

There has been a steady rise in the suicide rate in Sikkim with an average of 150 incidents reported annually over the past three years. The fact is definitely disturbing given that Sikkim is a small state with a population of 5.4 lakh only. According to a central data, Sikkim has the second highest number of suicide cases in the country.

Jasbir Rai, a 36-year-old man, killed himself by slitting his throat with a khukuri at his home at Ravitar Manghing near Jorethang in South Sikkim. Rai first tried to run a sickle round his throat but being unsuccessful, he used the khukuri, police said. A habitual drinker, he reportedly suffered from mental illness. During the incident, Rai was alone at home and a photograph of a girl was found near his body, the police said.

The second victim, 16-year-old Samba Rai of Tikrak Chamba block near Ranipul, was found hanging from a tree in a forest near his village.

Another person, this time a 31-year-old resident of Reshi, was also found hanging from a tree in Yangang.

The fourth victim was Patrus Rai, a 17-year-old boy, who killed himself at his residence at TNA complex in Gangtok.

According to psychiatrists here, a major cause of suicides can be traced to untreated mental health. Eighty per cent of such people suffer from depression and most of them are women, doctors said.

While state government agencies can hardly be said to have taken any step concerning the rising number of suicides here, a group of young people has volunteered to take care of the situation.

Forming an organisation called Care, the members plan to bring about awareness about mental health through counselling. They conduct workshops and provide free counselling sessions for dropouts and regular students, said Ongdup Lepcha, the general secretary of the group.