Tourist vehicle falls into Teesta River in North Sikkim; search operation underway

A tragic accident took place on the evening of May 29 when a vehicle carrying tourists plunged into the Teesta River along the Chungthang-Lachen highway in North Sikkim. The accident happened between Chungthang and Munshithang. The vehicle was carrying 10 tourists along with the driver when it lost control and fell into the river.

Soon after the incident, a massive search and rescue operation was launched. The local administration, led by SDM Chungthang and SDPO Chungthang, quickly reached the spot. They were joined by teams from the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), the Indian Army, and local volunteers. A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also deployed to assist in the rescue work.

Out of the 11 people on board, only 2 individuals have been rescued so far. They received first aid at the field hospital in Chungthang and were later referred to the STNM Hospital in Gangtok for further treatment. Unfortunately, 9 people are still missing, and the search operation continues with full effort.

The District Collector of Mangan and the Superintendent of Police are keeping a close watch on the operation. Officials on the ground are using all available resources to locate and rescue the missing persons. Despite difficult terrain and strong river currents, the rescue teams have not paused their efforts.