In a tragic incident that shook the Army fraternity and the nation alike, three Indian Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), lost their lives after their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 500-metre deep gorge in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district on Sunday.
The ill-fated Army truck was part of a routine convoy en route from Jammu to Srinagar via National Highway-44. The accident occurred around 11:30 AM near the treacherous Battery Chashma stretch, a known accident-prone zone in the Ramban sector.
Responding swiftly, a joint rescue operation was launched by the Army, Jammu & Kashmir Police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local volunteers. Despite their best efforts, all three occupants of the vehicle were declared dead at the scene. The impact of the fall had turned the Army vehicle into a mangled wreckage, officials said.
The deceased were identified as: Naib-Subedar Sujeet Kumar,Driver Amit Kumar,Sepoy Man Bahadur
Their mortal remains were recovered after hours of strenuous rescue work carried out under challenging terrain and weather conditions.
Ramban Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kulbir Singh stated that a preliminary probe indicated a possible technical glitch in the vehicle, though a detailed investigation is underway to determine the exact cause of the tragedy.
The Army’s Northern Command expressed deep sorrow over the loss of its brave personnel. In a statement shared on microblogging platform X, it said:
The incident is a stark reminder of the hazards faced by armed forces even during non-combat operations in the rugged and high-risk terrain of Jammu and Kashmir. As the nation mourns the loss, the bravery and dedication of these soldiers will forever be etched in our collective memory.
Jai Hind.