10 soldiers killed, 10 others injured in crash
Ten Indian Army personnel lost their lives, and an equal number sustained critical injuries, after their vehicle veered off the slippery road and plunged into a deep gorge in the Khanni Top area of Bhaderwah, Doda district, on Thursday.
According to the Indian Army’s Nagrota-based White Knight Corps, an Army vehicle transporting troops for an operational duty veered off the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road amid treacherous mountainous terrain and adverse weather conditions. The army personnel were travelling in a Casspir, which is a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicle, designed to keep troops safe while navigating hostile environments with high mine or IED threats.
The mishap occurred at approximately 9,000 feet above sea level on Khanni Top, with the vehicle falling about 200 feet into the gorge. Rescue operations were promptly launched by Army personnel and local administration teams despite the challenging terrain and inclement weather.
Preliminary reports indicated the road accident occurred due to the presence of snow on the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road.Deputy Commissioner Doda Harvinder Singh told reporters, “A tragic accident took place on the Bhaderwah-Chamba road. A total of 10 jawans have lost their lives. Out of the 11 injured jawans, 10 seriously injured jawans have been airlifted to Command Hospital Udhampur. The bodies of the deceased soldiers are being dispatched to their families.”
MoS PMO Dr Jitendra Singh, in a post on X, informed that most of the injured jawans were having multiple injuries, including pneumothorax/ fractures of long bones/ 01 has maxilla. All have been resuscitated. Investigations are underway.Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Lt Governor Manoj Sinha, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, PDP President Mehbooba Mufti, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee and former chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad expressed grief over the accident.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic road accident in Doda in which we lost 10 brave soldiers of the Indian Army. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families,” the defence minister said in a post on X.Singh said the injured soldiers are receiving medical care, and all necessary directions have been given to ensure the best possible treatment.Union Home Minister Amit Shah also expressed grief over the road accident in which 10 Indian Army soldiers lost their lives.
In a post on X in Hindi, Shah said he was “deeply pained” by the incident and extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the soldiers who were killed.“I am deeply pained by the road accident in Doda, Jammu and Kashmir. I express my heartfelt condolences to the families of the brave soldiers we have lost in this tragic incident,” he said.
Army’s Northern Commander said the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Lt Gen Pratik Sharma and all ranks of the Command salute the bravehearts and express heartfelt condolences on the untimely demise of soldiers who lost their lives in the unfortunate vehicle accident. “Northern Command fraternity stands in solidarity with the bereaved families and wishes speedy recovery to those injured in the accident,” it said in a post on X.Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lauded the swift rescue and evacuation efforts. He also conveyed condolences to the families of the soldiers who died and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday said he was “deeply anguished” over the death of army personnel in a road accident in Jammu and Kashmir’s Doda district.
“Deeply anguished by the mishap in Doda, in which we have lost our brave army personnel. Their service to the nation will be remembered forever,” the prime minister said in a post on X. “May the injured recover at the earliest. All possible support is being provided to those affected,” Modi said.
Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha, in a post on X, said, “We will always remember the outstanding service and supreme sacrifice of our brave soldiers.” “In this moment of profound sorrow, the entire nation stands united with the bereaved families in solidarity and support,” the LG said, adding he had directed the senior officials to ensure the best possible treatment.
Expressing sadness over the accident, Congress president Kharge called for strengthening road safety measures to prevent such deaths.According to official sources, since June 2022, a total of 20,135 road accidents involving 32,819 persons have been reported in J&K. These accidents resulted in 3,688 fatalities and 29,131 grievous or minor injuries too.
