Four Sikkim residents killed in vehicular mishap at Kirney

GANGTOK, : Four people lost their lives and three others were injured when a Gangtok-bound taxi skidded off the road and plunged down a hillside along NH-10 near Kirney in Kalimpong district on Friday night.

The accident occurred around 8 p.m. while the taxi was en route to Gangtok. Four passengers died from their injuries, while three others sustained serious injuries.

Local residents and rescue personnel rushed to the scene and evacuated the injured, who were then transported to Sikkim for medical treatment. All the occupants of the vehicle were reportedly from Bojoghari, near Gangtok.

The deceased include three women, aged 20, 35, and 58, and one man, aged approximately 44. The injured comprise a 40-year-old woman and two children, aged eight and five.

According to locals, the accident may have been caused by the glare from the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. However, police have launched an investigation to determine the exact cause.

“An accident occurred last night. A car fell into a ditch. Four were killed and three were injured. The injured are being treated at a hospital in Sikkim. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem,” said a senior officer of Kalimpong district police.

Incidentally, heavy rainfall has lashed North Bengal in recent days, worsening road conditions and triggering landslides in several areas of north Bengal. More rains are expected in north Bengal in coming days.