Five swept away by Teesta river

Gangtok, August 17 (UNI) Altogether five people were swept away when a van slipped and plunged into a raging Teesta river, along the NH 31 near Rangpo on Sikkim-West Bengal border, last night.

Police said the van was on the way from Mansang under Kalimpong subdivsion to Rangpo in East Sikkim, when the incident occurred.

There were six people in the van including three students of ITI, Rangpo, local sources said adding one student, Krishna Bahadur Limboo managed to survive the accident while others were swept away by the river along with van and feared to be dead.

The bodies were not recovered so far.

Local volunteers and West Bengal police have launched search and rescue operations, sources informed.

Limboo, the sole survivor was rushed to Rangpo primary health centre and later referred to STNM hospital in Gangtok, local sources said.

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