Sikkim mishap: U.P. CM Yogi pays tribute to jawans, announces ex gratia for kin of 4 from state

Sixteen army personnel were killed when an army truck carrying them fell into a gorge while taking a sharp turn at Zema in North Sikkim on Friday

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath paid tribute to the 16 army personnel who died in a tragic road accident in Sikkim on Friday and announced financial assistance of ₹50 lakh each to the kin of four soldiers hailing from Uttar Pradesh. Sixteen army personnel, including three junior commissioned officers, were killed when an army truck carrying them fell into a gorge while taking a sharp turn at Zema in North Sikkim.

Tribute being paid to the jawans from Uttar Pradesh killed in Sikkim mishap at Lucknow airport on Saturday. (HT photo)

According to a statement issued by the state government, the CM paid homage to the bravery of Naik Lokesh Kumar, a resident of Muzaffarnagar district, Naik Shyam Singh Yadav, a resident of Unnao, Lance Naik Bhupendra Singh of Etah and Havildar Charan Singh of Lalitpur district, who attained martyrdom in the mishap.

Apart from giving a government job to a member of each bereaved family, a road in their home districts will also be named after the deceased soldiers, it read, adding that their last rites will be performed with state honours. Condoling the deaths, the chief minister said the state government was with the family members of the soldiers in this hour of grief. Their mortal remains are likely to reach their native places by Saturday night, said public relations officer (defence), Lucknow, Shantanu Pratap Singh.