BHUBANESWAR: At least four tourists from Odisha including BJP Mahila Morcha state secretary Itishree Jena went missing after a minivan plunged nearly 1,000 feet into the Teesta River in north Sikkim’s Mangan district on Thursday evening.
The passenger van was carrying 11 people with six from Odisha. “There were 10 passengers and the driver when the accident took place between 7.30 pm and 8 pm on Thursday. Two boys, aged 16 and 21, from Odisha were rescued in the night and are currently undergoing treatment in the hospital,” Mangan district SP Sonam Detchu Bhutia told TNIE.
The van bearing Sikkim registration was travelling on the hilly terrain beyond the permissible time of 6 pm. “The weather was not rough nor the roads are bad in the area. The reason behind the accident could possibly be a human error or vehicle malfunction but it is too early to arrive at a conclusion,” sources said.
Bhutia said multiple agencies like Army, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Indo Tibetan Border Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Sikkim police, fire service personnel and others were engaged in search operations throughout the day. “Due to inclement weather conditions and rise in the water level in Teesta river, the search was called off at 6.30 pm on Friday. The operation will resume again on Saturday morning,” he added.
Odisha Transport department officials said five more tourists from Odisha were reportedly travelling in another passenger vehicle behind the ill-fated van. A total of 11 tourists from Oupada in Jajpur district were in the two vehicles, they added.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi expressed grief over the incident and immediately dispatched a team to Sikkim to assist the affected people from the state.
After receiving information that there were many passengers from Odisha in the vehicle, Majhi held discussions with the Sikkim government regarding the rescue, treatment and their return journey to the state. He asked a special team of officials to leave for Sikkim, the CMO informed.
Transport minister Bibhuti Bhusan Jena spoke with his Sikkim counterpart to ensure all necessary medical and logistical support is being provided to the injured.
“We are in constant touch with the officials of Sikkim and are committed to extend all possible help,” said Jena. Additional commissioner Transport Dipti Ranjan Patra and Bhubaneswar RTO-I Bikash Choudhury left for Sikkim earlier in the day to facilitate the treatment of the injured persons and their smooth return to the state.