KOHIMA: AS many as 16 army jawans including three junior commissioned officers were killed and four other jawans were injured in a road accident near Zemu in North Sikkim today when the army convoy truck they were travelling in veered off the road and fell into a deep gorge, killing them on the spot.
The four injured were airlifted to the hospital where their condition is stayed to be serious. The dead bodies of the ill-fated soldiers were retrieved from the mangled remains of the truck from the accident site today, said the army sources.
According to the army sources, the ill-fated truck was the part of three army convoy which were heading from Chatten towards Thangu.
But on the trucks skidded off the road near Zemu and fell into the gorge killing 16 army personnel on the spot while four others sustained serious injuries.
The citizens of Sikkim have slammed the government and other central agencies over the pathetic condition of roads in the state.
Chief Minister of Sikkim, Prem Singh Tamang has joined President of India, Draupadi Murmu . Prime Minister, Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressing their grief over the tragedy and solidarity with the families of the brave hearts of India.
