DARJEELING, : A 55-year-old tourist from Kolkata, Amiya Nath Ghosh, died late last night, marking the second tourist death in Darjeeling this month.
Ghosh, a resident of South 24 Parganas, had arrived in Kalimpong with his family and friends on January 29 before traveling to Darjeeling the following day. After spending the day exploring the town, including a walk around Mall Road, the group returned to their hotel.
According to GTA health in-charge Rajesh Chauhan, around 10:30 pm, Ghosh’s friends heard loud noises from his hotel room and rushed to check on him. They found him unconscious with his wife and daughter by his side. He was immediately taken to Darjeeling district hospital, where he was declared dead.
Rupam Sarkar, a relative and member of the travel group, said, “We had dinner after returning from our tour and went to sleep in our respective rooms. Later, we were awakened by noises from Ghosh’s room and found him unconscious. With the help of the hotel owner, we rushed him to the hospital, but he was pronounced dead.”
Ghosh had a history of heart disease and had undergone surgery. Doctors confirmed that he suffered a heart attack. The group, comprising nine members from three families, was visiting Darjeeling for the first time.
Following a post-mortem examination, the GTA arranged an ambulance to transport Ghosh’s body to Siliguri, from where another vehicle took him home to South 24 Parganas.
Tourist fatalities in Darjeeling, often linked to pre-existing medical conditions, are becoming increasingly frequent. Earlier this month, on January 6, 58-year-old DipanjanSaha from Hooghly district died after falling ill at Lamahatta.
Between May and December last year, three tourists lost their lives in the Sandakphu region, around 61 km from Darjeeling. The victims included TanmoyKundu from North Dinajpur (May 26), Asish Bhattacharya (November 19) and Ankita Ghosh from Kolkata (December 3). Most of these cases were attributed to respiratory issues.