Five army soldiers were swept away due to the rising water level of the Shiok river near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Nyoma-Chushul area of Ladakh. All of them died. A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) was also among them. The incident took place at around 1 am on Friday (28 June). This information came to light on Saturday (29 June). Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed grief over the accident in Ladakh by tweeting.
According to the news agency, the soldiers were returning late at night in a T-72 tank after a military exercise. The army tank was crossing the Sheok river in Saser Brangsa in eastern Ladakh, when the water level suddenly rose and the soldiers along with the tank started drowning in the river. According to Leh's Fire and Fury 14 Corps, the accident took place near Mandir Mor, 148 km from Chushul in LAC.
The rescue team reached the spot, but due to the strong current and rising water level in the river, the soldiers could not be saved. The bodies of five soldiers have been recovered. They have been identified as Risaldar MR K Reddy, Dafadar Bhupendra Negi, Lance Dafadar Akdum Tayyabam, Hauldar A Khan and Nagaraj P.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has expressed grief over this incident. He wrote on Twitter- We will never forget the sacrifice of our brave soldiers for the country. Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi has also expressed grief. He wrote on Twitter- We all stand with the families of the martyred soldiers in this hour of grief.