Guwahati: In a tragic incident, as many as 16 Indian Army jawans were martyred in a road accident in North Sikkim on Friday.
The incident took place at Jema hills, a remote area about 15 kilometers from Lachen town in Sikkim.
According to reports, 16 soldiers were killed after an army vehicle carrying them plunged down a cliff and into a deep ditch.
Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that three among the deceased jawans were Junior Commissioned Officers (JCO).
According to reports, the car that rolled into the ditch was a part of a three-vehicle convoy that was travelling from Chatten to Thangu. It was making an attempt to navigate a tight turn when the accident occurred.
The four injured soldiers were airlifted as soon as a rescue attempt was initiated.
Taking to Twitter, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condoled the incident. He wrote, “Deeply pained by the loss of lives of the Indian Army personnel due to a road accident in North Sikkim.”
“The nation is deeply grateful for their service and commitment. My condolences to the bereaved families. Praying for the speedy recovery of those who are injured,” he further tweeted.