GANGTOK: In one such shocking accident that has sent jitters through the Army and local communities, three soldiers lost their lives when an Army vehicle met with a fatal crash in Dalapchand, Pakyong district, Sikkim. The incident took place on Thursday morning. One more person was critically injured and presently undergoing medical treatment, officials said.
An investigation into the accident was launched by the Army, along with local law enforcement; the details remain scanty as of this stage. The remote location and difficult terrain may have been a contributory factor, but no definitive conclusions have been reached.
The accident has brought gloom amidst people in this region, which is not new to such tragedies. On 27 August this month, three Army personnel succumbed to a truck accident in Arunachal Pradesh. Such incidents, one after another, have again brought the focus on the risks Army people have to face, especially in the inhospitable border areas of India.
Incidents involving the military keep happening. In June this year, five soldiers were washed away during a tank drill in Ladakh when a tragic flash flood underlined yet again the freak and unpredictable circumstances at times attendant upon duty in inhospitable terrain.
While each accident brings in renewed focus on safety and the harsh realities of military life, the Army continues to work towards ensuring incidents like these are at their bare minimum. Senior officials have conveyed their condolences to the families of those dead and full support to the affected lots by the tragedy.
The local authority was very quick to move into the situation, and less than an hour later, emergency services had already reached the site. The injured soldier has been taken to the nearest medical facility where attempts are being made to stabilize their condition.
While investigations are underway, the region mourns the death of three brave soldiers who have given the ultimate sacrifice in service of the nation. The three dead are just the latest additions to a growing list of deaths among army personnel in a dramatic turn of events that has brought out into the open the hazardous conditions that the Indian Army faces in some of the most unyielding terrains globally.
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