Darjeeling turned somber as a 28-year-old tourist from Kolkata, Ankita Ghosh, tragically lost her life during a trip to the picturesque hills. A resident of Ashoknagar in Dumdum, Ankita had traveled to the mountains with friends. On Tuesday night, she suddenly fell ill at a Tumling homestay. Despite her friends’ swift action to seek medical help, doctors at Darjeeling District Hospital declared her dead.
Ankita had earlier visited Sandakphu and returned on Tuesday to Tumling, where she spent the night with her friends. After dinner, she retired for the night but suffered a sudden health crisis around midnight. Initially rushed to Sukhiapokhri Block Primary Health Center, her worsening condition led to her transfer to Darjeeling District Hospital, where she was pronounced dead. The exact cause of her death remains unknown pending a postmortem.
This incident comes just days after another tourist, 65-year-old Ashis Bhattacharya from Bhawanipur, Kolkata, died while visiting Sandakphu. Preliminary investigations indicated altitude-related complications, including blood pressure fluctuations and breathing issues, as the cause.
Expressing grief over Ankita’s death, Jyoti Ghosh, Deputy Director of the Tourism Department, remarked, “This is a heartbreaking incident. Ankita had just returned from Sandakphu and fell ill in Tumling. She was taken to the hospital, but unfortunately, the doctors could not save her. The cause of death will be confirmed after the postmortem.”
The back-to-back tragedies have raised concerns about the health risks associated with high-altitude travel in the region, particularly for unprepared tourists.
