Four die in hill car crash... were Satya Sai Sewa Samity volunteers

TT, Calcutta, Sept. 19: Four female social workers from Darjeeling died in a car accident near Maneybhanjyang today while they were returning after distributing food grains and other essentials to residents of a forest village.

Witnesses said the SUV, in which nine social workers were travelling, had fallen almost 200ft down a hill slope at a location between Jowbari and Kopidhara around 3pm today.

Seema Moktan, 45, Purnima Rai, 82, and Laxmi Subba, 53, died on the spot, while Aiti Maya Gurung, 52, succumbed to her injuries on the way to Darjeeling district hospital. They had gone to Dhooteray, a forest village situated about 45km from Darjeeling.

The rest of the five passengers and the driver suffered injuries and have been admitted to hospitals in Darjeeling, Siliguri and Sukhiapokhri.

Sandip Chhetri, a witness to the crash, said: "We, the members of the Satya Sai Seva Samity (Darjeeling Zone III), had gone in four vehicles today to distribute relief materials. The vehicle leading the cavalcade met with an accident this afternoon."

Chhetri was in another vehicle of the convoy.

Various social organisations have been reaching relief materials in far-flung areas of the hills following the three-month long shutdown.

It is suspected that the vehicle involved in the crash had over-sped.

Chandan Pradhan, the secretary of the Singalila Land Rovers' Owners' Association, said: "As soon as villagers learnt about the accident, they started rescue operations. The vehicle fell almost 200ft down the hill side."

The social workers were from Nimkidhara, Merry Villa and Lhasha Villa areas of Darjeeling.