Sikkim: 21-year-old man drowns in Lodung River en route to football match

A 21-year-old youth from Mangnam, Gyalshing district, lost his life after accidentally drowning in the Lodung River below Bhaluthang. 

The deceased has been identified as Arjun Gurung, son of Govardhan Gurung, a resident of Mangnam and presently staying in Langang.

According to a written complaint filed by the victim’s cousin, Jas Bahadur Gurung, the incident took place around 11:30 a.m. on May 9. Arjun was accompanied by seven of his friends and was headed to Labing to participate in a football match. On the way, the group decided to take a break and swim in the Lodung River. During this time, Arjun accidentally drowned and could not be rescued in time.

Police received the FIR at around 2:30 p.m. the same day. Upon receiving the information, authorities immediately initiated a preliminary inquiry. An inquest into the death was conducted by Gyalshing Block Development Officer (BDO) Shri Garap D. Bhutia in the presence of the deceased’s family members and independent witnesses.

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Following standard procedure, a medico-legal autopsy was performed at the District Hospital in Gyalshing. After the post-mortem, the body was handed over to the legal guardians of the deceased for last rites.

Initial investigations have not found any signs of foul play. Authorities have noted that the drowning appears to have been accidental, with no suspicious circumstances reported so far. However, the case is still under investigation, and police are examining all possible angles to rule out any negligence or misconduct.

Police have registered an Unnatural Death (UD) case under Section 194 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, under FIR No. 09/2025. Further investigation is underway to confirm the exact cause and circumstances of the incident.