The soldiers were on a training mission in Ladakh (representative)
New Delhi:
Five Indian Army soldiers were killed after their tank met with an accident during a river-crossing exercise near the Line of Actual Control in Leh's Daulat Beg Oldi area in the early hours of Saturday, officials said.
One of the five people killed in the accident, which occurred around 1am, was a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO).
The soldiers were on a training mission and were crossing the Bodhi river at Mandir Morh, 148 km from Leh, on their T-72 tank when suddenly the water level started rising, official sources said. Soon the tank and the soldiers were submerged in the swelling river, they added.
Leading the nation in mourning for the dead, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said, “Deeply saddened by the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian soldiers in an unfortunate accident while transporting the tank across a river in Ladakh. We will never forget the exemplary service rendered by our brave soldiers to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands with them in this hour of grief,” he posted on X.