Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Gangtok: A multi-agency search operation concluded on June 7 after rescue teams recovered the bodies of four family members from a Tata Nexon submerged in the Teesta River. The victims, residents of Lingdok in East Sikkim, were identified as 28-year-old Smarika Neopaney, 27-year-old Shaibya Neopaney, 27-year-old Jika Dahal, and five-year-old Ditya Chettri.
The family departed Gangtok for Siliguri on June 5 to visit relatives receiving medical care. They last communicated with family members near the Rambi area on National Highway-10 between 3:30 pm and 4:30 pm. When contact was lost, relatives reported them missing the following day, sparking an extensive search involving the NDRF, SDRF, local police, and river rescue teams.
Search efforts were complicated by adverse weather and difficult terrain. After finding vehicle parts in a landslide-affected area, investigators redirected their focus to the river. Rescuers eventually located the vehicle deep underwater, though strong currents and poor visibility forced an overnight delay in the recovery. All four bodies were retrieved on Sunday morning.
The three adults were government employees who served in the nursing, culture, and horticulture sectors, prompting an outpouring of grief across the state. Bikash Basnett, Political Secretary to the Chief Minister, expressed gratitude to those who assisted in the recovery, stating, "Bikash Basnett thanked the NDRF, West Bengal authorities, Raju Bista, Vikram Rai, social workers and local residents who participated in the search operation despite difficult conditions."
Officials are investigating the incident, though unstable conditions on NH-10 are suspected to be a factor. The highway, which connects Sikkim to West Bengal, is prone to frequent landslides and flash floods during the monsoon season.
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