Kalimpong, May 31: Seven persons died and three suffered serious injuries in two separate accidents in Sikkim last night.

In Phengla, about 12km from Gangtok, a vehicle ferrying eight tourists from Lachung in North Sikkim to the capital fell into a gorge killing six members of two families. Three others, including the driver, were injured in the accident that happened around 10.30pm.

A senior police officer said the injured had been admitted to Central Referral Hospital at Tadong and their medical expense would be borne by the Sikkim tourism department.

The deceased are identified as Jasmita Dandapat, 34, her daughter Triparna, 6, Maikel Bag, 52, his wife B. Sujata, 43, their daughter Sephali, 18, and son Sobhan Raj. The families hailed from Nawabganj in North 24 Parganas, Bengal.

In another accident, Mohan Gurung, died when the car driven by him fell 250ft downhill at Lachen around 9.30pm yesterday. He was as declared brought-dead at a hospital in Mangan.