An army vehicle carrying troops for an operation plunged into a deep gorge in Jammu’s Doda district on Thursday, killing 10 soldiers and injuring 11.
Officials said the accident took place at Khanni Top on the Bhaderwah-Chamb road at an altitude of 9,000ft. The bullet-proof vehicle that fell into the 200ft-deep gorge looked like a heap of twisted metal from a distance.
Doda deputy commissioner Harvinder Singh said the vehicle was carrying 21 soldiers.
“Ten soldiers were martyred and of the remaining 11, 10 are serious. They have been airlifted to Command Hospital, Udhampur. The bodies of the 10 men are being dispatched and handed over to their families for the last rites,” he said.
Singh said the road had turned slippery because of the frozen surface, leading to the accident.
The army’s Jammu-based White Knight Corps said the vehicle was carrying troops for an operation and it slipped off the road while navigating treacherous terrain in bad weather. The army did not clarify the nature of the operation.
Doda has in recent years seen a revival of militancy, leading to multiple gunfights and the deaths of soldiers and militants.
The soldiers were travelling in a state-of-the-art vehicle called Casper, known for offering protection against mines and ambushes. But the vehicle’s heavy weight is said to make it more vulnerable to slippery and mountainous roads.
Sources said the driver lost control of the vehicle.
Locals were the first to climb down the gorge to help rescue the injured soldiers on stretchers. They were later joined by the army, police and members of the civil administration. Four soldiers died on the spot and six more succumbed to their injuries later.
Union home minister Amit Shah, chief minister Omar Abdullah and lieutenant governor Manoj Sinha expressed grief over the accident.
Shah said he was deeply pained by the accident, adding that the injured soldiers were receiving the best medical care.
In adjoining Kishtwar district, security forces continued their hunt for militants. The militants killed an elite Special Forces commando, Havaldar Gajendra Singh, and injured his seven colleagues on Sunday evening before disappearing into a maze of forests.
There was a fresh exchange of fire on Thursday after nearly three days of calm in the upper reaches of Chhatru, suggesting the militants were still hiding in the area.