6 people killed, 15 injured when bus falls into gorge near West Bengal-Sikkim border

Last update:November 30, 2024, 21:30 CEST

The accident occurred on the Andheri and Atal Setu route, about 1 km from the Rangpo border, around 3 p.m.

People gather near an overturned bus that fell into a gorge on the bank of the Teesta River near the Rangpo border in Sikkim’s Pakyong district on Saturday. (PTI Photo)

Police said six people were killed and 15 injured when a bus plunged into a 50-foot-deep gorge near the West Bengal-Sikkim border.

The accident occurred on the Andheri and Atal Setu route, about 1 km from the Rangpo border, around 3 p.m., they said.

A private bus traveling from Siliguri to Gangtok veered off NH-10 and crashed on the bank of the Teesta river, said Srihari Pandey, representative of Kalimpong district in West Bengal.

Police are investigating the identity of the deceased and the injured, the police said, adding that a woman was among the dead.

The injured people were initially taken to a health center in Rangpo for treatment and later shifted to various hospitals in Sikkim, he added.

Police say the death toll is likely to rise as the condition of many injured passengers is very critical.

He added that there were several tourists among the bus passengers when the accident occurred.

A bus named ‘Quality’ operated daily between Siliguri, the largest city in northern West Bengal, and Gangtok.

The causes of the accident are being investigated, the police said.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a news agency feed – PTI)