Agartala, June 2: In a tragic incident on May 29, 2025, a tourist vehicle carrying 11 passengers plunged into a deep gorge in North Sikkim. Among the missing are two youths from Kailashahar in Tripura’s Unkoti district — Devajyoti Dev and Swapnil Dev — whose names have been submitted to the Chief Minister’s Secretariat as missing persons.
Upon receiving news of the accident, Tripura Chief Minister Prof. (Dr.) Manik Saha began closely monitoring the situation. The Chief Minister’s Secretary, Dr. P. K. Chakraborty, promptly contacted the Sikkim administration to gather updates on the rescue efforts. He spoke directly with K. N. Bhutia, Secretary to the Chief Minister of Sikkim, to inquire about the status of the operation.
In a written communication, Shri Bhutia informed that ongoing rescue operations are facing severe challenges due to adverse weather, heavy rainfall, and the fast-flowing Teesta River. Despite these conditions, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) remains active and is working with full vigilance to retrieve the vehicle and locate the missing passengers.
So far, two minor tourists from Odisha have been rescued from the wreckage, while some parts of the vehicle have been recovered. Unfortunately, nine tourists, including the two youths from Tripura, remain unaccounted for.
The families of the missing Tripura youths have already reached Sikkim. Dr. Chakraborty has spoken with the father of one of the victims and assured the family of all possible assistance. Meanwhile, Unkoti District Magistrate Tamal Majumdar is also in touch with the NDRF team to coordinate efforts.
The Tripura administration remains in constant contact with authorities in Sikkim to monitor the ongoing search and rescue mission.
