- Four Sikkim residents, including a child, were found dead in a vehicle in Teesta River
- The family went missing while traveling from Gangtok to Siliguri on Friday
- Search involved NDRF, police, local officials, and volunteers along NH-10 stretch
Four residents of Sikkim, including a five-year-old child, were found dead inside a vehicle recovered from the Teesta River along National Highway-10 on Sunday after a two-day search operation.
The victims have been identified as Smarika Neopaney (28), Shaibya Neopaney (27), Tika Dahal (27), and Ditya Chettri (5), all residents of the Kabi Lungchok area in Gangtok district.
The family had been travelling from Gangtok to Siliguri on Friday when they went missing. Concern arose after family members lost contact with them, with their last known communication reportedly originating from the Rambi area during the afternoon.
Following the disappearance, an extensive search operation was launched involving personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), West Bengal Police, West Bengal Traffic Police, local administration officials, and volunteers. Search efforts were concentrated along the Sevok-Baghpool stretch of NH-10, where heavy runoff from a seasonal stream had triggered a mudslide and disrupted traffic on the day the family went missing.
Investigators reportedly traced the last mobile phone location to the same area. During the search, vehicle components and debris suspected to be linked to the missing Tata Nexon were recovered, prompting authorities to intensify operations along the river corridor.
After a sustained search, rescue teams located the vehicle submerged deep inside the Teesta River. Due to darkness and difficult river conditions, retrieval operations were temporarily suspended on the night of June 6 and resumed early the following morning.
The vehicle was subsequently recovered from the river, and all four occupants were found dead inside. Authorities believe the vehicle plunged into the Teesta after an accident along the highway.
The bodies were taken to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital in Siliguri, where post-mortem examinations were conducted. Following the completion of legal formalities, the bodies were handed over to family members and transported to Sikkim for the last rites.
