GANGTOK: Seven people, including six students of Mangan Senior Secondary School, were killed when the vehicle in which they were travelling fell into a riverbed some 800 ft below in Sikkim's East district on Sunday, police sources said.
The incident took place around 8 am when the driver lost control over the vehicle and it fell down 800 feet below on a riverbed near Rangtang Khola on Mangan-Singtam highway in East district, Superintendent of police, M S Tuli said.
The deceased were identified as - Milan Pradhan (driver), Man Bahadur Rai, Kunjong Bhutia, Diki Ongmu, Sagar Gurung, Penti Lepcha and Calden Bhutia (all students).
The bodies have been recovered and sent for autopsy at Singtam hospital, the SP said.
A case has been registered at Singtam police station and an investigation was underway to ascertain the cause of the incident, Tuli said, adding that the students were going for a picnic at Kalimpong from Mangan.
