9 Army personnel dead, 1 injured after vehicle falls into gorge in Ladakh

Nine army personnel were killed after the truck they were travelling in plunge into a deep gorge in Ladakh on Saturday.

“The death toll has increased to nine while one has been injured”, Lt Col PS Sidhu, defence PRO, Leh, said.

“The convoy was moving from Leh to Kiari. One vehicle went offroad leading to mishap”, the defence official added.

The army team reportedly constituted of 311 Medium Regiment (artillery).

There were a total of three officers, two JCOs and 34 jawans travelling in three vehicles that comprised a Maruti Gypsy, a truck and an ambulance.

“At 1645 hrs (6.45 pm) an army vehicle in which 10 army personnel including the driver were travelling from Leh to Nyoma, met with an accident 6 km short of Kiari”, Leh SSP PD Nitya told Hindustan Times.

"An ALS (Ashok Leyland Stallion) vehicle which was moving as part of a convoy from Leh to Nyoma, skidded into the valley at approximately 5:45-6 PM, seven km short of Kiari. There were 10 personnel travelling in the vehicle out of which nine died and one got injured. The injured personnel has been shifted to the hospital," Indian Army officials said in a statement.