One killed after car plunges into 200-ft gorge in Bengal's Kurseong

Kolkata: At least one person was killed and five others were injured after a car plunged into a ditch about 200 feet below in the hills in north Bengal's Kurseong, the police said on Monday.

The accident took place on Sunday night on the Kargil Dhara road in Kurseong.

It is learnt that six friends were going from Kurseong to Siliguri in a four-wheeler on Sunday. Around 9 p.m. to 9:30 pm, due to heavy rain in the Kargil Dhara area, which is 10 km above Rohini in Kurseong, the car lost control and fell into a ditch about 200 feet below.

Following the accident, locals quickly started the rescue work. After receiving information about the incident, the disaster management group of the state and a police team reached the spot. They were rescued and taken to the hospital. One of the six friends was declared dead by the doctor. The rest are undergoing treatment at the hospital.

According to the police, all six are residents of Siliguri. "On Sunday night, the car lost control in Kargildara and fell into a ditch about two hundred feet below. The locals somehow rescued two of them. However, rain on one side and darkness on the other hindered the rescue work. Three of them were still trapped in the car," said an officer of the Darjeeling District Police.

Later, the police and the disaster management team rescued the remaining three people who were trapped in the car. Out of the five injured, two are undergoing treatment at the primary hospital in Kurseong. The remaining three have been shifted to a hospital in Siliguri. The body of the deceased has been sent for autopsy.

It may be noted that the hills in north Bengal have been witnessing a prolonged spell of rain in the last few days due to the withdrawal of monsoon from the state. As a result, drivers have been advised to exercise caution while going up and down hills, especially during the rainy season and at night.

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