Five Army Soldiers Drown as T-72 Tank Sinks in Shyok River Near China Frontier in Ladakh

Officials from the defense ministry said that five army personnel, including a junior commissioned officer, perished when their T-72 tank sank when they were crossing a river near the China border in eastern Ladakh.

According to sources, late on Friday night, the water level in the Shyok River in the Nyoma-Chushul area unexpectedly surged due to snowmelt, washing the tank away.

The accident happened close to Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO), the highest airfield in the world, which is strategically situated at a height of 16,000 feet. Since the border intrusions in May 2020, the Chinese army has reportedly entrenched with tanks and artillery on the Depsang Plains near DBO, 18 km inside India's declared boundaries.

Additionally, DBO is near Aksai Chin. In the dangerous and inhospitable terrain along the Line of Actual Control, the airfield supplies the Indian Army with logistical support.

The soldiers were from an armored regiment, and they were crossing the river in the T-72 tank as part of a drill, according to a defense ministry official.

"The Shyok river, which flows through the strategically important Depsang region, has more water in it now due to the melting of the snow," he stated.

"On June 28 night, while de-inducting from a military training activity, an army tank got stuck in the Shyok river near Saser Brangsa due to a sudden increase in the water level," the army's Leh-based Fire and Fury Corps reported. Rescue crews raced to the scene.

Unfortunately, the rescue attempt was unsuccessful and the tank crew perished as a result of the strong current and high water levels. The Indian Army laments the passing of five courageous soldiers who were serving in eastern Ladakh.

Declaring his "deep sadness at the loss of lives of five of our brave Indian Army soldiers," Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also offered his "condolences to the bereaved families."

Rahul Gandhi, a Congress lawmaker and the head of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, sent "my deepest condolences to the bereaved families" along with a "humble tribute to all the martyred soldiers."

"In this hour of grief, the nation stands together in saluting the exemplary service of our valiant soldiers," stated Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge.

After the war in 1962, the DBO airport was constructed to deter Chinese incursions. Although deemed hazardous in 1965, flight operations were restarted in 2008.

The strategically important and recently constructed Darbuk-Shyok-DBO road, which meanders beside the LAC at heights between 14,000 and 16,000 feet, is not far from the airport.

At the foot of the Karakoram Pass, which divides Ladakh from China's Xinjiang Autonomous Region, the route links Leh with DBO. While the Indian Army uses the road to support its forces posted on the LAC, China's army aims to control it.

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