New Delhi: At least five people lost their lives and 15 others sustained injuries after a bus fell into a 150-foot-deep gorge near the West Bengal-Sikkim border on Saturday afternoon, police said. The incident occurred around 3 pm between Andheri and Atal Setu, about 1 km from the Rangpo border. The bus, going from Siliguri to Gangtok, skidded off National Highway 10 and plunged onto the banks of the Teesta river, officials said.
Police said that one of the deceased was a woman, while efforts were underway to identify all the victims. The injured were rushed to a nearby health centre in Rangpo for medical attention. Authorities warned that the death toll could rise as several injured passengers were in critical condition.
The bus, named ‘Quality,’ was part of a daily service connecting Siliguri in northern West Bengal with Gangtok. Among those onboard were tourists, police added. Investigations are ongoing to determine the cause of the accident.
Accident in Uttar Pradesh
In another accident occurred on National Highway 130 near Ikouna in Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh, a tempo and a car collided violently. Five people lost their lives—three on the spot and two at the hospital—while others sustained injuries. The collision was so severe that both vehicles fell into a roadside ditch, which caused chaos and briefly blocking the highway.
The tempo was completely wrecked and the car’s front was severely damaged. Police arrived immediately to the scene and sent the injured to the hospital and the bodies for post-mortem. Initial findings suggest overspeeding, but technical faults in the vehicles are also being investigated.
