WHOLE COUNTRY WITH FAMILIES OF SOLDIERS WHO DIED IN LADAKH: HOME MINISTER AMIT SHAH

New Delhi: On Saturday, Union Home Minister Amit Shah expressed his sadness over the death of soldiers in the flash flood in Ladakh, adding that the entire country stands with the families of the brave soldiers who lost their lives in the incident.

Five Army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, drowned after their T-72 tank sank due to flash floods in the Shyok River, which is near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Nyoma-Chushul area in Ladakh. The deaths occurred during an exercise early Saturday.

"I am saddened by the news of the accident during the military exercise in Ladakh. I express my condolences to the families of the brave soldiers who lost their lives in this accident. The whole country is with the families of the brave soldiers," the Union Minister's post on X said in Hindi.

According to officials, the incident occurred near Mandir Morh, which is 148 km from Leh, at around 1 am.

Earlier, Rajnath Singh wrote on X, "Deeply saddened at the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate accident while getting the tank across a river in Ladakh."

"We will never forget exemplary service of our gallant soldiers to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firm with them during this hour of grief," the Defence Minister added.

The Indian Army's Fire and Fury Corps' official statement read, "On 28 Jun 2024 night, while deinducting from a military training activity, an army tank got struck in the Shyok River, near Saser Brangsa, Eastern Ladakh due to sudden increase in the water level. Rescue teams rushed to the location, however, due to high current and water levels, the rescue mission didn't succeed and the tank crew lost their lives. Indian Army regrets loss of five brave personnel while being operationally deployed in Eastern Ladakh. Rescue operations are underway."

(With Inputs From PTI)

2024-06-29T12:39:26Z dg43tfdfdgfd