Sikkim: Mother and toddler die in Pakyong road accident, five injured

A mother and her two-year-old daughter from Kolkata died after their vehicle plunged 400 metres down a steep slope in Sikkim's Pakyong District. Five others sustained severe injuries in the accident, which occurred on December 28 evening on the Lamaten-Lungchok road.

Payal Shasmal, 32, and her daughter Shreenika were killed when their Bolero vehicle veered off the road while travelling from Aritar to Rolep around 5:00 pm. The driver, 23-year-old Ashish Khati from Gangtok, and four other tourists suffered serious injuries.

First responders rushed the survivors to Rongli PHC before transferring them to STNM Hospital in Gangtok for advanced treatment. The deceased were part of two visiting families from Kolkata enjoying a holiday in the northeastern state.

Local police officer Nim Tenzing Bhutia reported that the cause of the accident remains under investigation, as survivors are still in shock. Police have registered multiple charges under the BNSS Act 2023 and Motor Vehicles Act, with three individuals detained and three vehicles cited for violations.

The bodies are being held at STNM Hospital pending the arrival of family members. The surviving tourists include Abhijit Ghosh, his wife Amrita, and their daughter Avimrita, as well as Shobhon Shasmal, who lost his wife and daughter in the tragedy.