Three soldiers die after falling into gorge in J&K's Kupwara
What's the story
Two personnel of the Indian Army's Chinar Corps and a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) died on Wednesday after they reportedly slipped into a deep gorge while they were patrolling in a forward zone near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Kupwara district of Jammu and Kashmir. The incident reportedly occurred in the Machil sector when they were on a routine operation task.
Details
Vehicle slipped into gorge due to snow: Chinar Corps
As per the official release by the Indian Army's Chinar Corps, the vehicle slipped into a gorge due to snow on the track. "The incident happened in the Machhal sector. During a regular op task in the forward area, a party of 1 JCO and 2 ORs slipped into a deep gorge, when snow on the track gave way," the release said.
Information
Mortal remains retrieved from crash site
The Chinar Corps, in their post on Twitter, also confirmed that the mortal remains of all three soldiers were successfully retrieved. The three victims have been identified as Havildar Amrik Singh, Naib Subedar Parshotam Kumar, and Sepoy Amit Sharma.
Twitter Post
Chinar Corps confirmed the incident in a tweet
Incident #ChinarWarriors in #Machhal Sector. During a regular op task in forward area, a party of 01 JCO 02 OR slipped into a deep gorge, when snow on the track gave way. Mortal remains of all the three #bravehearts have been retrieved. Further details follow.@NorthernComd_IA pic.twitter.com/AjULhI33Ne
— Chinar Corps🍁 - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) January 11, 2023
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Similar accident that killed 16 jawans in December
In December last year, 13 soldiers and three JCOs were killed in an identical truck accident in Northern Sikkim. The truck was part of a three-vehicle convoy that was traveling to Thangu from Chatten during the day. As per Indian Army's official statement, the vehicle met with an accident en route to Zema.
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Part of the vehicle was torn apart on impact: Report
Officials told Hindustan Times that it was a ferry truck in which the army personnel from all companies and regiments usually traveled. "The truck was going uphill. It fell on the road around 40 meters below and tumbled downhill and part of the vehicle was torn apart by the impact. Roads in that area have sharp bends," revealed the official.
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My condolences to the bereaved families: Rajnath Singh
Defense Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his heartfelt condolences over the deaths of the army personnel and conveyed his consolations to their families. "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," Singh tweeted. Notably, four other army personnel were also injured in the incident.