Arunachal: Army truck falls into gorge, 3 soldiers dead

Itanagar: Three Army personnel died on the spot while several others were injured when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a deep gorge in the Upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh. The accident occurred on Tuesday on the Trans Arunachal Highway (Package-7) stretch near Tapi village in the district, police said. The three deceased were identified as Havildar Nakhat Singh, Naik Mukesh Kumar and Grenadier Ashish Kumar, according to Army sources.

A police officer from the district informed me that the Army truck, which was part of a convoy transporting personnel, fell into a gorge at around 6 AM on Tuesday. The convoy was travelling from Daporijo, the district headquarters, towards Basar in Leparada district, when the accident occurred, he said. Local youths and the public of the area immediately rushed to the spot and helped in evacuating the injured persons and retrieving the dead bodies.

The locals alleged that the construction work on Package 7, particularly roadside culverts, has been done without ensuring quality, due to which accidents are reported from the area. In a post on X, the Army’s Eastern Command said, “Lt Gen RC Tiwari, #ArmyCdrEC & All Ranks express deepest condolences on the sad demise of Bravehearts Hav Nakhat Singh, Nk Mukesh Kumar, and Gdr Ashish who made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty in #ArunachalPradesh. The Indian Army stands firmly with the bereaved families.”

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Pema Khandu has mourned the deaths of the three army personnel. “I am deeply pained by the loss of lives of three @adgpi personnel—Havildar Nakhat Singh, Naik Mukesh Kumar, and Grenadier Ashish Kumar—in a tragic accident near Tapi in Upper Subansiri district. Their service to the nation and supreme sacrifice will be remembered with highest regards,” Khandu posted in X.

My condolences to the bereaved families. I pray to Lord Buddha for peace among brave souls. Om Mani Padme Hum, he added.

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