Kolkata, Nov 30: At least, five persons were reportedly killed and several others were injured after a tourist bus lost its balance and fell into the Teesta River near the West Bengal-Sikkim border at Rangpo on the Sikkim side.
The bus was travelling from West Bengal’s Siliguri to Sikkim’s capital Gangtok State police sources said that till now bodies of five tourists have been detected and some others have been admitted to a local hospital under critical condition. The administrative officials apprehend the death toll might increase later.
The deceased five persons are yet to be identified. The officials and staff of the state disaster management team rushed to the spot and started the rescue operations. It is learnt that the bus started from Siliguri towards Gangtok on Saturday afternoon. Eyewitnesses said that the bus suddenly fell into the river near Rangpo after the driver reportedly lost control of the steering.
Two teams of Kalimpong district police from West Bengal and Sikkim Police immediately reached the spot, after getting the news of the accident. Kalimpong district magistrate Balasubramanian T also reached the spot. According to him, a total of almost 20 persons received injuries following the accident.
“They have been shifted to a local hospital and they are undergoing treatment there. We have got information of some deaths also in the accident. Rescue operations are on,” he added. The Kalimpong District Police Superintendent Shrijari Pandey confirmed five deaths so far. “Our immediate task is to concentrate on fast rescue operations.
The injured ones are under treatment now. The investigation is on to find out how the accident happened.” Sources from the state disaster management department said that the remote hilly terrain in the area where the accident happened is making the work of rescue operations a bit difficult.
IANS