• Source:JND
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AT LEAST 16 Army personnel including three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCQs) lost their lives while four others were injured after the vehicle they were travelling to fell into a deep gorge in north Sikkim near the China border. The accident happened when the vehicle skidded down a steep slope while negotiating a sharp turn, the Army said in a statement.

"In a tragic road accident, involving an Army truck on December 23 at Zema in North Sikkim, 16 bravehearts of the Indian Army have lost their lives," the Army said in the statement.

"Unfortunately, three Junior Commissioned Officers and 13 soldiers succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident. Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families, at this hour of loss." it added.

The ill-fated Army truck was part of a 3-vehicle convoy which left Chatten today morning and was moving towards Thangu in North Sikkim. The truck skidded down a steep slope on a sharp turn at Zema. The Indian Army said that a rescue mission was launched immediately and four injured personnel were air evacuated to an Army hospital in North Bengal.

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief on the loss of lives. "The nation is deeply grateful for their service and commitment. My condolences to bereaved families; Praying for speedy recovery of the injured," Rajnath Singh said.

The mishap took place at around 8 a.m. at Zema 3, about 15 kms away from Lachen, located at a distance of around 130 km away from the State capital Gangtok. Chungthang Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Arun Thatal informed that the Army vehicle was heading towards the border posts with 20 occupants.

The vehicle seemed to have veered off the road while negotiating a curve in the Zema 3 area and crashed hundreds of feet down. All 16 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. The condition of the four critically injured Army personnel remains unknown, said Thatal, who was at the spot with a police team from Lachen.

The bodies are being taken to the State-run STNM Hospital in Gangtok for post-mortem and later will be handed over to the Army. The regiment of the victims is yet to be ascertained, he added. As per police, the Army vehicle had been picking up the Army personnel on the way as it was heading towards its destination.

Meanwhile, President Draupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed grief over the incident. "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 PMO tweeted.