At least six persons died and 15 were injured when a Sikkim-bound bus veered off the NH10 and fell around 200 feet into a gorge on the banks of the Teesta river at Andheri in Kalimpong near Sikkim on Saturday afternoon.

Among the six dead are Ikbal Hassan of Belgachia Road in Calcutta, Gopal Prasad of Gangtok, Ajay Tamang of Samsing in Kalimpong, Julu Kumari of Rangpo in Sikkim and Indrajit Singh of Sevoke Road in Siliguri. The sixth is yet tobe identified.

Sources said that the deceased and the 15 injured were not tourists. Rather, they had been travelling for work.

“A bus fell in the gorge this (Saturday) afternoon near the Andheri area. Six passengers of the bus died and at least 15 of them suffered injuries. The injured were taken to the nearest health centre in Rangpo and hospital in Singtam (in Sikkim). The rescue operation is in progress,” Balasubramanian T., the district magistrate of Kalimpong, said.

Rangpo is located about 77km from Siliguri and 38km from district headquarters of Kalimpong.

According to the police and district administration, the bus was going towards Gangtok from Siliguri. “It was around 3pm near Andheri on NH10 when the vehicle veered off the road and plunged near the river,” saidan official.

Even though the exact cause of the accident is being investigated, the particular stretch of the highway had been damaged during the monsoon by the swollenriver Teesta.

The NH10 that connects Sikkim with the rest of the country had been badly damaged first by the glacial lake outburst flood in October 2023 and the 2024 monsoon. The road had remained closed for the most part of the monsoon this year.

Sources said that a couple of bodies came under the bus and rescuers faced some difficulty in extracting them.

“While initial rescue work was carried by residents, the police too rushed to the spot and helped transport the injured to the hospitals,” said a source. “A team of fire brigade personnel also helped in the rescue operations.”

Police sources said that all angles were being explored to pin the cause of the accident. “We are not ruling out the possibility of the driver missing a bend after losing control. The driver has suffered serious injuries,” said a source.

Sikkim chief minister Prem Singh Tamang (Golay) expressed his condolences. “I am deeply saddened to learn about the tragic bus accident.... I extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families who have lost their loved ones in this devastating incident,” said Golay.