Sikkim road accident: Soldiers were going home on leave from China border

The sixteen soldiers of an ill-fated truck that skidded into a deep gorge while negotiating a steep turn in north Sikkim on Friday were going on a hard-earned leave after being deployed in high-altitude locations near the border with China.

The Ashok Leyland Stallion 5-ton truck was headed to state capital Gangtok, and was part of a convoy of three trucks carrying a mix of troops from the mechanised infantry and infantry.

From Gangtok, they were to proceed to their native places after serving postings near the border with China where weather conditions were getting hostile because of the winter’s onset.
The site of the accident is located not very far from the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The aerial distance to the border is just around 10-15 km.

The Indian Army said in a statement on Friday afternoon: “In a tragic road accident, involving an Army Truck on 23 December 2022 at Zema, North Sikkim, sixteen Bravehearts of the Indian Army have lost their lives.”

The convoy was moving from Chatten towards Thangu when the truck lost control while negotiating a sharp turn and skidded down a steep slope.

The dead comprise three Junior Commissioned Officers and 13 soldiers. A rescue mission was immediately launched and four injured soldiers were air-lifted for medical treatment at the military hospital at Bengdubi in north Bengal.

Of those killed, about six are believed to be from the mechanised infantry.

On Saturday, the last remains of the soldiers will be air-lifted to their native places for the final rites.

This stretch in north Sikkim—very craggy and mountainous—is not very far from the Doklam plateau area where Indian and Chinese soldiers were involved in a 73-day long face-off in 2017. It falls under the area of responsibility of the 33 Corps of the Indian Army that is headquartered in Sukna in north Bengal.