Tourist vehicle falls into Teesta river in North Sikkim; 1 dead, 8 missing

At least one individual died and eight others reportedly went missing after a tourist vehicle plunged nearly 1,000 feet into the Teesta River between Chungthang and Munshithang in North Sikkim on Thursday evening, reports The Economic Times.

The vehicle was carrying 11 people, including 10 tourists and a driver.

According to the initial report, two critically injured individuals were rescued from the spot in crirical condition and admitted to Mangan District Hospital in Chungthang for medical treatment.

The tourists were reportedly from West Bengal and other parts of the country. Authorities have not yet released the names of the victims as official procedures and family notifications are still underway.

Superintendent of Police, Mangan District, Sonam Dechu Bhutia, stated that the incident occurred around 8.00pm. He confirmed that one body has been recovered while the search continues for the remaining eight persons.

Rescue teams from the Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Sikkim Police, the district administration, and local volunteers are involved in the search and rescue operation.