Couple killed by landslide collapsing on moving vehicle in Lingtam

GANGTOK, 24 May: In a freak accident that took place in Lingtam falling under the Rongli Police Station jurisdiction, a couple is reported to have died on the spot late last evening.
Speaking to NOW! over the phone today, PI, Rongli Police Station, Arun Thatal, confirmed that Lal Bahadur Pradhan [37] and his wife Anita Pradhan [35], both residents of Lingtam in East Sikkim, were killed on the spot when a minor landslide of boulders hit the vehicle [a Mahindra Max SK/01/J/0866] they were travelling in. They were returning home from Siliguri when the accident took place at around 11 p.m. on Wednesday night.
The couple had purchased the vehicle only a few days ago. Last morning they drove down from Lingtam, parked their vehicle at Rongli and then boarded a service taxi to Siliguri, the PI informed, adding that the two returned from Siliguri in the evening and reached Rongli at around 10.30 p.m. and then around 11 p.m. they left on their own vehicle for Lingtam.
He further informed that the vehicle was hit by the landslide of boulders at a place called Deorali Sisney which falls between Rongli and Lingtam. The vehicle was totally damaged and both of them died on the spot, he added. The vehicle had overturned on the road because of the impact and the boulders had rolled down into the river.
As the Rorathang-Rongli road is blocked at many places because of the recent heavy rainfall, vehicles have to come via Rhenock including those going to Lingtam and that was when one of the drivers passing by noticed the accident and informed the police. “We received information of the accident at around midnight and immediately left with a rescue team”, informed the PI.
Search operations were conducted in the nearby areas and also along the river in order to confirm that there were no other casualties while relatives of the couple were also questioned, he informed.
The bodies were sent for post mortem to Singtam District Hospital this morning and later handed over to the family members. An Unnatural Death [UD] case has been registered at the Rongli Police Station and the case is under investigation, he further stated.