The accident deaths of a toddler and her mother from Calcutta during a trip to Sikkim on Saturday evening prompted tourism stakeholders to alert tourists to north Bengal and Sikkim on safety aspects during winter.

On Saturday evening, when a group of five tourists were travelling from Aritar to Rolep in the Pakyong district of the mountain state, their SUV veered off the road and fell into a gorge near Lamaten. Shreenika Syamal, a two-and-a-half-year-old girl, and her mother Payel died in the mishap.

Local residents and drivers rescued the others, including the driver of the SUV. They are still under treatment in Gangtok.

“Tourists should avoid travel after sundown and before daybreak to avoid such accidents,” said Debasish Chakraborty, general secretary of the Eastern Himalaya Travel & Tour Operators Association.

“During winter, travelling on steep hilly roads with sharp bends is risky at night because of fog. Visibility reduces drastically. Unless it is an emergency, tourists should travel on the mountainous roads only during the day,” Chakraborty added.

He pointed out that even earlier some similar mishaps occurred when tourists lost their lives while travelling in the mountains during evening and night hours.

“We have also found that many tourists are in a hurry to reach their destinations at night instead of halting at the nearby location. They should not hurry during night hours. Also, cab drivers should be alert,” Chakraborty added.

Samrat Sanyal, the general secretary of Himalayan Hospitality & Tourism Development Network, said: “Tourists should plan their itinerary in such a manner so that they can reach their places by late afternoon, particularly during the winter season. They should keep the safety issue as a priority. Similarly, cab drivers should be cautious while ferrying tourists in the evening or at night. Time and again, we have stressed the issue in workshops we conduct for service providers associated with the industry.”

Fatal mishap

A person died and five others got injured after an SUV rammed into a roadside truck and turned aside at Tadong near Gangtok before daybreak on Sunday.

Sources said six Sikkim residents, including the driver, were headed to Gangtok from Ranipool when at Tadong Bazar, some 5km from Gangtok, the SUV hit a truck parked on the roadside and turned aside.

Purnakumar Chhetri, seated next to the driver, died on the spot.

The injured were rescued and sent to the Central Referral Hospital in Manipal. Police have seized the SUV.