5 Soldiers In Tank Swept Away While Crossing River Near China Border

New Delhi: Five soldiers were killed after their tank met with an accident during a river-crossing exercise near the Line of Actual Control in Leh’s Daulat Beg Oldi area in the early hours of Saturday, officials said. Rescue officials have recovered one body, while the four others are missing.

A Junior Commissioned Officer, or JCO, is among the five killed in the accident that happened around 1 am, NDTV reported.

The soldiers were on a training mission and were crossing the Bodhi River near Mandir Morh, 148 kilometres from Leh, on their T-72 tank when suddenly the water levels began to rise, official sources said. Soon the tank and the soldiers were submerged in the swelling river, they added.

A rescue operation has been launched.