Kalimpong, April 22: An SUV going
from Sikkim to Siliguri plunged about 100 feet down a hill as the driver
failed to negotiate a bend on NH31A near Kalimpong this afternoon,
killing five persons and injuring eight others.
The injured were
initially taken to the health centre at Melli on the Sikkim side before
being shifted to the Kalimpong subdivisional hospital. While four died
on the spot, another passenger succumbed to injuries at the Melli health
centre.
The share taxi
from Singtam in East Sikkim met with the accident at a secluded place
between Kirney and Melli. The accident spot is around 20km from here. Of
the five deceased, four were men and one a woman. Police said only
three of the deceased persons could be identified and they were driver
Sitaram Chhetri from Lingzey in East Sikkim, Anisur Rahman of Islampur
and Furmit Lepcha, a woman from Chhota Singtam in East Sikkim.
Of the eight injured, six were identified.
Some of the
injured passengers said the accident occurred when the driver had failed
to negotiate a bend. “We were coming smoothly when all of a sudden, the
driver failed to negotiate a bend on the highway. The vehicle went
straight and rolled down the hill,” said a critically injured passenger.
A police source
said the accident had happened between 1.30pm and 2pm. The passengers of
the ill-fated vehicle were taken to the hospital by those travelling on
other taxis and Kalimpong police.
One of the injured, Mohammad Azmal of
Islampur, said he was a scrap dealer based in Singtam and was on his way
to his native place. “ I was carrying Rs 2 lakh in a bag. One of the
rescuers took my bag with him and I can’t remember his face,” he said.
Ramu Chhetri from Assam, brother
Tirtharaj Chhetri and his wife Sita were also injured in the crash. The
other two injured persons who have been identified are Shanta Chhetri
from Mangan in Sikkim and Pramila Mangar from Nepal.(TT)