Vehicle falls into river in Sikkim, Odisha BJP leader among 9 missing
A Bharatiya Janata Party leader from Odisha was among nine people reported missing in Sikkim after a tourist vehicle they were travelling in went off the road and fell into the Teesta River late Thursday (May 29, 2025) evening.
The vehicle fell about 1,000 ft., at a place between Chungthang and Munshithang along the Chungthang-Lachen road in northern Sikkim's Mangan district.
Two groups of tourists from Odisha and West Bengal reportedly hired the vehicle, which had 11 occupants, including the driver and Itishree Jena, the Odisha State secretary of the BJP Mahila Morcha.
'Out of the 11 occupants, two have been rescued and referred to STNM Hospital in Gangtok, after preliminary treatment at the Chungthang Field Hospital. Search is still on for the remaining nine persons,' an official statement said.
'Swimmers have been deployed to check for the vehicle wreck in the river. An extensive search operation is underway,' another statement read.
Mangan's Superintendent of Police, Sonam Detchu Bhutia, said locals were helping rescue workers to find the missing passengers and recover the vehicle.
'We spotted a body in the middle of the river near a rock, but we have not been able to reach the spot because the river is swollen and its current is very strong. The terrain is too steep for recovery vehicles to reach,' he told The Hindu.
While he confirmed that Ms. Jena's name was on the list of passengers, he said, 'We cannot confirm her identity unless she is rescued or the body is recovered.'
Her brother, Sisir Nayak, confirmed that she was one of four individuals from Odisha still missing in northern Sikkim's Mangan. He also said her son and nephew were currently on ventilators.
'In response to the accident, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi dispatched a special team to Sikkim. This team's mission is to oversee and aid rescue operations, ensure the injured receive appropriate medical attention, and facilitate their safe return,' a Bhubaneswar-based BJP leader said.
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