Doda Army accident: 10 Soldiers killed, several injured as vehicle plunges into gorge at Khanni Top

Tragic Army accident in J&K's Doda. 10 soldiers died and several others were injured when their bulletproof vehicle fell into a 200-foot gorge at Khanni Top. LG Manoj Sinha condoles the "supreme sacrifice." 

At least 10 Indian Army personnel were killed and 10 others injured on Thursday when their armoured vehicle skidded off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge in the Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir. The accident took place during a routine movement toward a high-altitude post in the treacherous mountainous terrain.

Accident at Khanni Top

The incident occurred at Khanni Top along the Bhaderwah-Chamba interstate road. The army vehicle was a bulletproof Casper, and it was carrying around 20 men in all. According to officials, the driver lost control while negotiating a sharp bend. The vehicle tumbled over and rolled down around 200 feet into the rocky ravine.

Rescue operations and medical emergency

Immediately after the crash, a joint rescue operation was launched by the Indian Army, Jammu and Kashmir Police, and local volunteers.

Initial recovery: The bodies of four soldiers were recovered by the first responders at the site.

Evacuation: In this particular incident, thirteen injured personnel were first rescued from the debris and subsequently rushed to a nearby military medical facility.

Airlift to Udhampur: The critical injuries sustained by some defense personnel required them to be airlifted to the Command Hospital at Udhampur to undergo specialist medical treatments.

Although doctors worked tirelessly on them, seven more lost their lives in the afternoon, leading to a total death toll of ten.

LG Manoj Sinha 'deeply grieved'

Lieutenant Governor of J&K, Manoj Sinha, pays homage to the martyred soldiers and calls the tragedy "a supreme sacrifice."

"Deeply saddened to hear about the loss of lives of 10 of our brave Indian Army jawans in an unfortunate road accident in Doda," said the LG on his X (Twitter) account. 

"We shall never forget their valuable service and supreme sacrifice from our brave jawans," he further stated in his post on X (Twitter). He has confirmed that his administration has asked his top officials to provide the best medical treatment to the remaining eight jawans who have been injured in this accident,” he further stated in his X post on Twitter. 

Heightened alert amid Republic Day

The accident occurred at a time of high security across the Union Territory. Military and civil authorities have arrived at the scene to conduct a formal inquiry into whether the crash was caused by a mechanical failure or the challenging road conditions. Security remains tight as the administration prepares for upcoming Republic Day functions.

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