Army truck falls into river in Ladakh, 9 died, 1 injured
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Srinagar: At least nine soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) of the Indian Army died in a road accident in the Leh district of Ladakh region on Saturday.
The accident reportedly took place at Kiyari in Nyoma area, 150 km from Leh, late on Saturday afternoon when an Army truck carrying 10 soldiers, skidded off the road and fell into a river, officials said.
The soldiers were going from Karu Garrison to Kiyari when the accident took place.
"A convoy of five vehicles was moving from Leh on military duty with a night halt at Kiari. Approximately 7 km short of Kiari, one of the vehicles lost control and fell into a gorge," a press release stated.
One of the soldiers was critically injured and he is currently undergoing treatment in Indian Army Hospital in Leh.
A relief and rescue operation was launched immediately after receiving the news about the accident, officials said.
President Droupadi Murmu and PM Narendra Modi expressed condolences over the demise of nine soldiers. "Deeply anguished to learn that a road accident in Leh led to the loss of lives of Indian Army personnel. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this tragedy. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The nation owes a great debt of gratitude to these soldiers for their selfless sacrifice," President Murmu said.
Expressing his condolences, PM Modi tweeted, "Pained by the mishap near Leh in which we have lost personnel of the Indian Army. Their rich service to the nation will always be remembered. Condolences to the bereaved families. May those who are injured recover at the earliest."
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh wrote on X (formerly Twitter), "Saddened by the loss of Indian Army personnel due to an accident near Leh in Ladakh. We will never forget their exemplary service to our nation. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. The injured personnel have been rushed to the Field Hospital. Praying for their speedy recovery."
Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed their condolences for the tragic incident.
With inputs from agencies