LG, Omar, Chugh condole loss of lives of army personnel
STATE TIMES NEWS
MENDHAR: Five soldiers were martyred and as many others injured when an Army vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down a 300-feet deep gorge in Poonch district on Tuesday evening, officials said, while ruling out any terror angle.
A defence spokesperson said the cause of the accident is being ascertained but “possibly the driver lost control at the turn of the road”. The accident occurred in the Gharoa area when a convoy of six vehicles was on its way to Banoi in the district.
The officials quoted above said rescue teams have recovered five bodies from the gorge which is 300-350 feet deep.
The injured soldiers have been shifted to the field hospital in Poonch, he said, adding one of them is in critical condition.
“One 2.5 Ton vehicle, part of a convoy of six vehicles, while moving on the operational track near Poonch, went off the road into a nallah. Operational track is on the home side of the LOC fence,” the defence spokesperson said in a statement.
He said five soldiers died in the incident and as many are injured.
The Army, meanwhile, ruled out terrorism angle to the incident. “A terrorist Initiated Incident positively ruled out after confirming from ground sources. Own post approximately 130 m from the incident site and backup vehicle was barely 40 meters away,” he said.
Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha, has condoled the loss of lives of army personnel due to tragic vehicle accident.
In a condolence message, the Lieutenant Governor has said: “I am deeply pained by the loss of lives of our brave army personnel due to a tragic vehicle accident in Poonch sector. My condolences to the bereaved families and prayers for the speedy recovery of the injured”.
The Northern Command said Lieutenant General M V Suchindra Kumar and all ranks of Dhruva Command extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers.
“Dhruva Command stands firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief”, the command said on X.
All ranks of White Knight Corps extend their deepest condolences “Rescue operations are ongoing, and the injured personnel are receiving medical care,” the White Knight Corps said on X.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday expressed his deep sorrow and heartfelt condolences over the tragic loss of five soldiers in a road accident involving an army vehicle near a forward post along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch district.
The unfortunate incident claimed the lives of five soldiers and left several others injured.
The vehicle, en route from Nilam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post, veered off course near Ghora Post and fell into a gorge.
A Quick Reaction Team immediately launched a rescue operation at the site.
The Chief Minister extended his deepest sympathies to the bereaved families of the soldiers.
He also prayed for the swift recovery of the soldiers injured in the accident.
“The news of several soldiers being casualties in the tragic incident where an Indian Army vehicle fell into a gorge in Poonch, Jammu and Kashmir, is deeply saddening and heart-wrenching,” said Tarun Chugh, National General Secretary of Bharatiya Janata Party.
“May God grant eternal peace to the departed soldiers and bless the injured ones with a speedy recovery. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the grieving families,” he added.