16 Army soldiers killed as vehicle falls into gorge in Sikkim
Three junior commissioned officers are among those who died, the Army said.
Sixteen Army soldiers, including three officers, were killed in a road accident in north Sikkim on Friday.
The Army truck that they were travelling in skidded down a steep slope at Zema, about 15 kms away from Lachen town, while negotiating a sharp turn, a statement said. The truck was part of a three-vehicle convoy that had moved from Chatten in the morning and was on its way to Thangu.
“A rescue mission was immediately launched, and four injured soldiers have been air evacuated,” according to the statement. “Unfortunately, three Junior Commissioned Officers and 13 soldiers succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident.”
The condition of the four injured Army personnel is not clear as of now.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expresses condolences to the families of the deceased. “The nation is deeply grateful for their service and commitment,” Singh said on Twitter. “Praying for speedy recovery of the injured.”
Pained by the loss of lives of our brave army personnel due to a road mishap in Sikkim. Condolences to the bereaved families. May the injured recover soon: PM @narendramodi
— PMO India (@PMOIndia) December 23, 2022
Deeply pained by the loss of lives of the Indian Army personnel due to a road accident in North Sikkim.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 23, 2022
The nation is deeply grateful for their service and commitment. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of those who are injured.