NOB- Leh news: A junior commissioned officer (JCO) among nine soldiers died and another injured when an army truck, part of a three vehicle recce patrol, veered off the road and plunged into a deep gorge near Kiari in Leh district on 19.08.2023 evening 7 PM.

Leh-based defence spokesperson Lt Col. PS Sidhu said, “The convoy was moving from Leh to Kiari when the truck went off-road.””Nine soldiers that included a JCO died and another was injured in the tragic incident”, he added.

Leh SSP, PD Nitya said, “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.” “The vehicle skid off the road and rolled down into a deep gorge. As soon as the reports reached local police, a police team rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation,”

The SSP informed that all the injured were shifted to army’s MI room.

“Unfortunately, eight personnel died on the spot. One more soldier succumbed to his injuries while being taken to Leh hospital taking the death toll to nine. Another soldier is critically injured,”