President Droupadi Murmu, prime minister Narendra Modi on Saturday expressed grief and condoled the death of nine army soldiers in a tragic accident in Ladakh's Leh.
Read here: 9 Army personnel dead, 1 injured after vehicle falls into gorge in Ladakh
“Deeply anguished to learn that a road accident in Leh led to loss of lives of Indian Army personnel. I convey my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. May God give them 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,” president said in an X post (formerly Twitter).
"Pained by the mishap near Leh in which we have lost personnel of the Indian Army. Their rich service to the nation will always be remembered," Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on X.
{{/usCountry}}"Pained by the mishap near Leh in which we have lost personnel of the Indian Army. Their rich service to the nation will always be remembered," Prime Minister's Office (PMO) said on X.
{{/usCountry}}"Condolences to the bereaved families. May those who are injured recover at the earliest," the post added.
In a post on X, defence minister Rajnath Singh said, “Saddened by the loss of Indian Army personnel due to an accident near Leh in Ladakh. We will never forget their exemplary service to our nation. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. The injured personnel have been rushed to the Field Hospital. Praying for their speedy recovery.”
Nine soldiers were killed and one was injured after their vehicle skidded off the road and plunged into a deep gorge in Ladakh's Leh on Saturday. The accident took place near Kiari in southern Ladakh's Nyoma, the officials said.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Leh P D Nitya told news agency PTI said that the vehicle in which 10 personnel were travelling, was on its way to Nyoma from Leh when the driver lost control and it plunged into a gorge at around 4.45 pm.
Read here: Junior commissioned officer among 9 armymen killed as truck falls into gorge in Ladakh
SSP further said that a police team rushed to the accident spot and shifted the injured soldiers to an Army medical facility where eight personnel were declared dead. Another jawan died subsequently, she said.
(With inputs from agencies)