Ladakh: 5 Tank-Bound Army Soldiers Swept Away While Crossing River

In a saddening incident on Saturday morning, Indian Army's five soldiers feared drowned after they were swept away while crossing a river in a T-72 tank near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Nyoma-Chushul area in Ladakh early.

According to a Defence Ministry official, the incident took place near Mandir Morh, 148 kilometres from Ladakh, during an exercise around 1 am.

The T-72 tank with five soldiers on board sank due to flash floods while they were crossing the river, the officials said. A rescue operation has been launched.

Reacting to the tragic incident, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed grief over the saddening incident through a post on micro-blogging site X, formerly known as Twitter.

Defence Minister said, "Deeply saddened at the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian Army soldiers in an unfortunate accident while getting the tank across a river in Ladakh."

"We will never forget the exemplary service of our gallant soldiers to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. The nation stands firm with them during this hour of grief," he added.

(Further details are awaited...)