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Metropolis Desk-
As many as 16 Indian army jawans were killed and four suffered injuries after the truck in which they were travelling fell off a mountain road in North Sikkim on Friday morning, the Indian Army said in a statement.
Three of the deceased were junior commissioned officers while 13 were soldiers. The truck was part of a three-vehicle convoy, reports Hindustan Times.
According to the army, the accident took place at Zema in North Sikkim after the vehicle skidded down a slope and fell into a gorge. The convoy left Chatten in the morning and was going towards Thangu.
The accident left four soldiers injured who have been air evacuated, the army said.
“En route, at Zema, the vehicle skidded down a steep slope while negotiating a sharp turn,” Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, the public relations officer of the defence ministry, said in a statement.
“A rescue mission was immediately launched, and four injured soldiers have been air-evacuated. Unfortunately, three junior commissioned officers and 13 soldiers succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident,” the statement added.
“Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families, at this hour of loss,” Lt Col Rawat said.
Expressing pain and grief to the loss of the lives of the soldiers, defence minister Rajnath Singh offered condolences to the bereaved families of the jawans.
“Deeply pained by the loss of lives of the Indian Army personnel due to a road accident in North Sikkim. 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,” he wrote on Twitter.
“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,” the Prime Minister’s Office wrote on Twitter.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also expressed grief over the death of the soldiers. “Shocked to hear the news of the tragic road accident in Zema, Sikkim, which has cost us the lives of 16 brave Army personnel. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. Wishing a speedy recovery to those injured,” he wrote on Twitter.
