A newly married couple from Uttar Pradesh’s Pratapgarh district went to Sikkim for their honeymoon. 15 days on, they are yet to return home.
Kaushalendra Pratap Singh and Ankita Singh, who got married on May 5, left for Sikkim on May 24. On the evening of May 29, what was supposed to be a blissful vacation turned into a nightmare for the couple and their families. The car they were travelling in fell 1,000 feet into the Teesta river in the landslide-hit Mangan district.
The car skidded off the road near Munsithang along the Lachen-Lachung highway.
Among the nine others travelling with them, one died and two were injured. Eight passengers are still missing. The driver, Passang Denu Sherpa of Singhik in North Sikkim, died on the spot while Swayam Supratim Nayak and Sairaj Jena from Odisha were rescued on the night of the accident.
Kaushalendra Pratap Singh’s father, Sher Bahadur Singh, is in Sikkim to look for his son and daughter-in-law.
“My son and daughter-in-law are missing after their vehicle fell into a stream in Sikkim. I appeal to UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to request his Sikkim counterpart to expedite the search and rescue operations,” Mr Singh, with folded hands, appealed through a video message.
He said that he would not return home till he finds them.
“It’s our eighth day here. We visited the accident spot several times. Whatever things have been recovered from the spot, nothing belongs to my son and his wife. I won’t return home till I find them. I request everyone to pray for the lives of my son and daughter-in-law,” he added.
The search for the missing eight tourists is being carried out by personnel of the NDRF, Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Department, Tourism Department, TAAS (Travel Agents Association of Sikkim), and police. However, bad weather is hindering the rescue work.
Among the other missing tourists, four are from Odisha – Ajit Kumar Nayak, Sunita Nayak, Sahil Jena and Itshiri Jena and two from Tripura – Debjyoti Joy Dev and Swapnanil Deb.
– With inputs from Amitendra Srivastava
