16 Army Men Died After Truck Falls Into Gorge In Sikkim

Sixteen Army men were killed on Friday after the truck skidded down a steep slope while negotiating a sharp turn and fell into a deep gorge at Zema, North Sikkim.

Four injured soldiers were air evacuated. Three Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO) and 13 soldiers have been confirmed dead, a defence statement said.

The truck was part of a three-vehicle convoy that had moved from Chatten in the morning towards Thangu.

The mishap took place at 8 am at Zema 3, about 15 kms away from Lachen.

The Army vehicle was heading towards the border posts with 20 occupants. The vehicle seemed to have veered off the road while negotiating a curve in the Zema 3 area and crashed hundreds of feet down.

All 16 bodies have been recovered from the crash site. The condition of the four critically injured Army personnel remains unknown.

The bodies are being taken to the State-run STNM Hospital in Gangtok for post-mortem and later will be handed over to the Army. The regiment of the victims is yet to be ascertained.

The Army vehicle had been picking up the Army personnel on the way as it was heading towards its destination.

The Army said in its statement, "In a tragic road accident, involving an Army truck on December 23 at Zema in North Sikkim, 16 bravehearts of the Indian Army have lost their lives," It said the ill-fated vehicle was part of a three-vehicle convoy that had moved from Chatten in the morning towards Thangu.

"Enroute at Zema, the vehicle skidded down a steep slope while negotiating a sharp turn. A rescue mission was immediately launched, and four injured soldiers have been air evacuated," the Army said.

"Unfortunately, three Junior Commissioned Officers and 13 soldiers succumbed to the injuries sustained in the accident. Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families, at this hour of loss," it said.

On December 6, two persons were killed and three others critically injured after their vehicle plunged into a deep gorge in West Sikkim.

The five people were on the way to Sangadorji in the taxi when the accident happened on Kaluk-Reshi Road around 9 pm.