Bhubaneswar: A woman BJP leader from Jajpur, Odisha, is among the eight tourists missing in the Sikkim bus tragedy. One body has been retrieved, and another person has been rescued in critical condition and admitted to a hospital in Gangtok. Itishree Nayak Jena, General Secretary of BJP’s Jajpur unit, is reported missing.
According to reports, Itishree Jena from Byasnagar in Jajpur district is among the missing tourists. However, her son and grandson were rescued safely in the accident, as confirmed by Korei MLA Akash Das Nayak.
The missing tourists are from West Bengal and Odisha, with four people from Odisha still unaccounted for, including Itishree Jena. She had taken her husband and two children with her on the tourist trip. A total of 10 people from her group had gone to visit Sikkim.
The accident occurred around 9 pm on Thursday when their vehicle plunged nearly 1,000 feet into the Teesta River while travelling from Lachen to Lachung.
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi has directed a special team to rush to Sikkim to rescue Odisha residents. Majhi spoke with his Sikkim counterpart Prem Singh Tamang, inquiring about the fate of the Odisha passengers and expressing concern over their safety and medical treatment. He also asked officials to make arrangements for the safe return of the Odisha passengers from Sikkim.
