JAMMU: At least 10 Indian Army soldiers lost their lives and 11 others were injured in a tragic road accident after a Casspir vehicle plunged into a deep gorge on the Bhaderwah–Chamba interstate highway in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district on Thursday morning.
According to officials, 21 jawans of the Army’s Rashtriya Rifles unit, stationed at Bhaderwah, were on routine surveillance duty in higher reaches when the mine-resistant Casspir vehicle skidded off the road near Khanni Top, located at an altitude of around 9,000 feet above sea level, at around 10 am.
The South African-designed Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle reportedly fell into a nearly 250-foot-deep gorge, resulting in serious injuries to several occupants.
A rescue operation was immediately launched, and the injured jawans were evacuated to Sub-District Hospital (SDH) Bhaderwah. Doctors declared three soldiers brought dead, while one more succumbed to injuries during treatment.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Bhaderwah Sunil Kumar Bhutyal confirmed that 10 Army personnel have lost their lives. Ten injured jawans were airlifted to the Command Hospital in Udhampur, while one soldier remains under observation at SDH Bhaderwah.
While the civil administration and police have confirmed the casualty figures, the Army had not issued an official statement till the filing of this report.
