Kolkata: Four persons, including a 20-year-old woman, were killed and three others sustained grievous injuries after a car plunged into a 50-metre-deep gorge near Melli Kirney under Kalimpong Police Station on Friday night.
Police said the accident occurred around 8 pm on October 3, when a Wagon R (registration no. SK01T 5989) travelling along NH-10 lost control and fell into the gorge. The impact left four occupants dead on the spot, while three others were rescued in a critical condition and shifted to Melli Sikkim Hospital for treatment. According to preliminary reports, the mishap might have been caused by the glare from the dipper lights of an oncoming vehicle, which likely blinded the driver and led to the car veering off the road.
The deceased have been identified as Kamal Subba (44), the driver of the vehicle; his daughter Samira Subba (20); Januka Darjee (35), and Nita Gurung (58) — all residents of Bojojhari, 3rd Mile, Sadar, Gangtok in East Sikkim.
The injured have been named as Sunita Thapa (40), Sandria Rai (8), and Samiul Darjee (5), all from the same locality. Police officials from Kalimpong PS, along with local volunteers, carried out the rescue operation late into the night. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem, and a detailed investigation into the cause of the accident is underway.