SRINAGAR: Lance Naik Saleem Khan drowned in ferocious Shyok river in Ladakh during rescue work. His boat capsized in the accident, media reports said.
Khan was 24 and was a resident of Patiala’s Mardanheri village, Hindustan Times reported. He was posted with the 58 Engineer Regiment currently posted at Ladakh. The mishap was reported to have taken place at around 3:20 pm on Friday.
“Saddened to hear about the demise of Lance Naik Saleem Khan in Ladakh. He belonged to Mardaheri village in Patiala district,” Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh wrote on Twitter. “My sincere condolences to his family. The nation salutes the brave soldier. Jai Hind!”
The newspaper said the 1996 born Khan has been serving Bengal regiment since 2014. He is survived by his sister Sultana and an elder brother Niamat Ali. Khan’s father Mangaldeen was also a soldier, who retired after being injured in an accident. He later died in 2002.
“According to the information received, towing was being done in the Shyok River on Friday to help in the forthcoming operation of the army,” another report said. “Salim Khan’s boat overturned due to a sudden accident at around 1.30 pm. At 3.20 pm, Salim Khan was out of the river when his breath stopped.”
Another media report from Pune said that the mortal remains of Naik DSV Sachin More reached his Pune home. More lost his life during the construction of a road and bridge in Leh.
A resident of Sakori village of Nashik district More is survived by his wife. His last rites were performed with full military honours.
Meanwhile, the authorities are still looking for the bodies of a young Indian Engineering Service (IES) officer and his driver whose vehicle was washed away by the fast-flowing Drass river.
The officer, identified as Subhan Ali met an accident when his driver lost control of the vehicle on a hilly stretch. The accident was reported during the intervening night of June 22 and 23.
Ali, a resident of UP, was on his first posting in Drass. He was holding the position of an Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the General Reserve Engineer Force (GREF). The army authorities have been searching the bodies for the last many days’ but have not been successful, so far. The river flows into the Pakistani side of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The rescue operation is being conducted by SDRF Kargil, Police, Army, and a team of Navy, while the Air force helicopter is also part of the rescue operation, but due to heavy river flow the vehicle and body could not be fished out,” a report in the media said.
“According to police officials, the AEE and his driver were on their way to Leh when the official Gypsy of the BRO’s 55 RCC met with an accident and plunged into river Drass near Batra Camp,” The Tribune reported. The damaged vehicle has already been retrieved.
Ali’s driver was identified as Gurdeep Singh, a resident of Jammu.
