UKHRUL: An Army jawan lost his life after a raft overturned in the Teesta river during a training exercise in Sikkim’s Pakyong district, police said on Tuesday.
The incident took place on Monday during an annual rafting training programme when the raft collided with a damaged bridge structure and capsized, sweeping the jawan away, a senior officer said. The iron bridge had been damaged and washed into the river during the 2023 floods.
Following the accident, the Army, along with the Teesta Rescue Centre, immediately launched a search operation. The body was later recovered downstream at Tar Khola in West Bengal’s Kalimpong district and sent for post-mortem examination.
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The deceased was identified as Lance Naik Rajasekhar of the 191 Artillery Regiment. The rafting exercise was being conducted between Bardang and Rangpo Mining when the mishap occurred.