On 20 August, Army Chief General Manoj Pande conveyed his condolences to the grieving families and expressed sorrow for the loss of 9 soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), who tragically died in a road accident in Leh on 19 August.
A post on X, formerly Twitter of the Indian Army Official handle, published, “General Manoj Pande #COAS and All Ranks of #IndianArmy express profound grief on the loss of nine #Bravehearts in a tragic and unfortunate road accident in #Ladakh and extend deepest condolences to the bereaved families.”
President Droupadi Murmu and Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar expressed their condolences for the accident’s fatality toll.
On 19 August in the Leh area of Ladakh, the army truck carrying the soldiers ran off a road and fell into a narrow valley.
President Murmu said she was “deeply anguished” by the loss of lives, adding that “the nation owes a great debt of gratitude to these soldiers for their selfless sacrifice”.
“Deeply anguished to learn that a road accident in Leh led to the loss of lives of Indian Army personnel. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this tragedy. I pray for the speedy recovery of the injured. The nation owes a great debt of gratitude to these soldiers for their selfless sacrifice,” read a post from the President’s office on X.
Along with sending his condolences to the families of the deceased, Vice President Jagdeep Dhakhar prayed for the injured personnel’s quick recovery.
On Saturday around 6:30 p.m., according to officials, the accident took place.
“The troops were moving from Karu garrison to Kyari near Leh. The ALS vehicle, which was moving as part of a convoy from Leh to Nyoma, skidded into the valley at approximately 5:45-6:00 PM, 7 Km short of Kiari. There were 10 personnel travelling in the vehicle, of which nine died and one got injured. The injured personnel has been shifted to a hospital,” an Army official said on 19 August.
Additionally, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the Ladakh accident victims, adding that people will always remember their valuable contributions to the country.
using a social media platform ‘X’, PM Modi posted, “Pained by the mishap near Leh in which we lost personnel of the Indian Army. Their rich service to the nation will always be remembered. Condolences to the bereaved families. May those who are injured recover at the earliest.”