Jammu, Dec 24: Five soldiers were killed and five others were injured when an Army vehicle carrying them skidded off the road and rolled down into a gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on Tuesday evening, officials said.
The accident occurred in the Gharoa area when an Army vehicle was on its way to Banoi in the district, they said, adding that rescue teams have recovered five bodies. The vehicle plunged into a gorge, approximately 300-350 feet deep, they added.
“Today at around 5.40 pm, an Army vehicle of 11 Maratha Light Infantry, which was on its way from Nilam headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post along the LoC, met with an accident near Ghora Post,” said police officials.
A defence spokesman at 16 Corps said one 2.5 Ton vehicle, part of a convoy of six vehicles while plying on the Operational Track near Poonch went off the road into a nallah.
“Operational Track is on the home side of the LoC fence. Cause of accident being ascertained. Possibly driver lost control at the turn of the road,” he said.
He ruled out a terrorist Initiated Incident after confirming from ground sources. “Own post approx 130 m from the incident site & backup vehicle was barely 40m away,” he said.
Taking to X, the White Knight Corps (16 Corps), spokesman said: “All ranks of White Knight Corps extend their deepest condolences on the tragic loss of five brave soldiers in a vehicle accident during operational duty in the Poonch sector. Rescue operations are going on and the injured personnel are undergoing treatment.”
Disclosing details, a police officer, who was monitoring the operation at the spot said that the vehicle fell into a deep gorge, and immediately after the accident quick reaction team of the Indian Army reached the spot and evacuated the injured to the nearby camp where they were receiving treatment. “A total of 10 soldiers, including a driver, were injured and out of which five succumbed to their injuries,” said an official.
A quick reaction team (QRT) of 11 Maratha Light Infantry and a police party from Mankote rushed to the spot and launched rescue operations.
The vehicle fell into a gorge, around 150 feet deep, causing serious injuries to 10 soldiers including the driver, they added.
On November 4, an army vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge in Rajouri district, resulting in one fatality and one injury. This accident occurred near Badog village in Kalakote, where Naik Badri Lal and Sepoy Jai Prakash were critically injured. Both were rushed to a nearby hospital, but unfortunately, Lal succumbed to his injuries during treatment.