Ladakh: 7 soldiers dead after vehicle carrying 26 skids off road, falls in river

Officials have confirmed that seven soldiers in Ladakh were killed after a vehicle carrying 26 people skidded off a road and fell inside a gorge near the Shyok river on Friday. Several others inside the vehicle have been injured in the accident.

The accident took place in the Tuktuk sector at around 9 am at a place which is around 25 kilometers from Thoise in the Nubra region of Leh district, they said. A party of 26 soldiers was moving in the vehicle from Partapur transit camp to a forward location in sub-sector Hanif, the officials said.

The officials further said that the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into the river, resulting in injuries to all of them. They said that a rescue operation was carried out swiftly and all the soldiers were evacuated to a field hospital in Partapur.

"Seven individuals have been declared fatal so far. There are grievous injuries to others as well. Dedicated efforts are underway to ensure that the best medical care is provided to the injured, including requisition of air effort from the Air Force to shift the more serious casualties to Western Command," an official said, as per PTI reports.

According to an army spokesperson, all those inside the vehicle have been injured in the accident. The vehicle skidded off the road and fell down at least 50 to 60 feet, falling steeply into the gorge, according to news reports.

The accident took place at approximately 9 am on Friday, and investigations into the accident are being conducted by the agencies.

(With PTI inputs)

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