Army pays tributes to 10 soldiers killed in road accident in Jammu

Jammu, Jan 23: A wreath-laying ceremony was on Friday held here to pay tributes to 10 soldiers who lost their lives in a road accident along the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

The ceremony was led by General Officer Commanding of White Knight Corps Lieutenant General P K Mishra and was attended by Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), BSF, CRPF, police and civil administration officers at technical airport, the officials said.

They said wreaths were also laid at the mortal remains of the soldiers on behalf of Lt Governor Manoj Sinha.

Inspector General of Police, Jammu zone, Bhim Sen Tuti and Inspector General of CRPF, Jammu, R Gopal Krishna Rao also laid wreath at the tricolour-draped coffins of the soldiers.

The mortal remains of the fallen soldiers -- Monu of Bulandshehar-Hindom, Jobanjeet Singh (Roopnagar-Ambala), Mohit (Jhajjhar-Hindam), Shailendra Singh Bhadoriya (Morar-Gwalior), Samiran Singh (Jhargram-Kalaikonda), Pradumna Lohar (Purulia-Ranchi), Sudhir Narwal (Yamunagar – Ambala), Hare Ram Kumar (Bhojpur-Bihta), Ajay Lakra (Ranchi) and Rinkhil Baliyan (Hapur–Hindom) -- are being dispatched to their home towns for last rites, the officials said.

An armoured vehicle of the Army carrying troops for an anti-terror operation plunged into a deep gorge at the 9,000-foot-high Khanni top along the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road on Thursday, resulting in the death of 10 soldiers and injuries to 11 others.

The Army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps described the incident as “unfortunate” and said the vehicle slipped off the road while navigating treacherous terrain in bad weather.