Soldier dies, 9 injured in Kulgam accident

Kulgam, Oct 26: An Army soldier died while nine others, including an officer, were injured when their vehicle skidded off the road in Damhal Hanjipora area of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district late Friday night.

The accident occurred around 11 pm on Friday in Damhal Hanjipora area of Kulgam while the soldiers from the 9 Rashtriya Rifles were on an operational move, officials said.

They said that the Army vehicle from the 9 Rashtriya Rifles (RR) skidded off the road near Damhal Hanjipora and rolled approximately 50 feet down into a gorge, resulting in injuries to the onboard soldiers.

Locals, Police, and Army personnel quickly arrived at the scene, providing immediate assistance and transporting the injured to a nearby hospital, officials said.

They said that Sepoy Jeet Kumar, the driver, later succumbed to his injuries.

The other nine injured soldiers, after receiving first aid, were shifted to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar for further treatment, officials said.

They said all the injured soldiers, including the Major, are currently in stable condition.

The injured soldiers have been identified as Ravinder, Parveen Singh, Sachin Singh, Amit Lal, Harish Bhati, Raja Singh, Arjun Gurjar, Sumit, and Major Rudhar Pratap Singh Chandal. Officials confirmed that all are currently in stable condition. In a post on X, the Army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps confirmed the incident.

“On the night of October 25, during an operational move in Kulgam district, an Army vehicle skidded and overturned. Tragically, one Sepoy lost his life, while several soldiers sustained injuries. They were promptly evacuated for medical care, and all are currently stable,” Army’s Chinar Corps posted on the microblogging site.

A case has been registered at the Damhal Hanjipora Police Station in Kulgam under several sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) as part of the investigation into the accident.