Eight tourists from Odisha, Uttar Pradesh and Tripura have gone missing in north Sikkim after an SUV they were travelling in plunged 1,000ft downhill into the Teesta river on Thursday night.
Among the eight was Itishree Jena, 46, an Odisha BJP leader and a resident of Jajpur.
Mangan district collector Anant Jain said 11 people were travelling in the taxi that met with the accident near Munshithang.
“Of the 11 passengers, nine, including the driver, are still missing. Two people have been rescued. The vehicle could not be retrieved because of heavy rain,” Jain told The Telegraph.
Security personnel during the rescue operation after the SUV plunged into the Teesta on Thursday night
Sources said the SUV was travelling along the Chungthang-Lachen highway when it skidded off the road and plunged into the river around 8pm on Thursday.
“Two SUVs were travelling together. The vehicle that met with the accident was travelling behind, and when it did not turn up, passengers of the earlier SUV informed police,” said Jain.
The ill-fated vehicle was being driven by Pasang Sherpa, 23, a local resident. Even though the road is under construction, it is said to be pliable.
The missing persons have been identified as Itishree Jaena, Ajit Kumar Nayak, 45, Sunita Nayak, 42 and Sahil Jena, 21, and they are all from Odisha. “The other missing are Ankeeta Singh, 26, and Kaushalendra Pratap Singh, 32, from Uttar Pradesh and Swapnanil Deb, 26, and Debjyoti Joy Deb, 26, from Tripura.”
Sairaj Jena and Swayam Supratim Nayak, both aged 17 and from Odisha, were rescued.
“The people from Odisha belong to one family,” said Jain.
The Odisha family had been exploring north Sikkim for the past two days.
Throughout Friday, a team which included those from the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), NDRF, police, fire service, ITBP mountaineering, tourism and civil aviation department, and local people, conducted a search operation to retrieve the nine missing people.
Sources said the vehicle could be located, but it could not be retrieved. Heavy rainfall made rescue operations difficult as the water level started rising.
The rescue operation was called off late in the evening and will continue on Saturday.
Odisha chief minister Mohan Charan Majhi also called up Sikkim chief minister P.S. Tamang (Golay) on Friday to enquire about the incident.
“I am deeply saddened by the tragic road accident that occurred on the night of 29th May near Chubombu, Mangan district, where a tourist vehicle fell into the Teesta river while travelling from Lachen to Lachung. My heartfelt prayers are with the victims and their families during this extremely difficult time,” Golay said in a written message.
