West Bengal: Two army soldiers killed after rope snaps during training exercise in Barrackpore
The soldiers were identified as Naik Lengkholal and Sepoy Aldrin Hmingthanzwala.
Two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed on Wednesday (March 29) during a routine river crossing exercise in West Bengal's Barrackpore. The soldiers, from the Assam regiment, were identified as Naik Lengkholal and Sepoy Aldrin Hmingthanzwala. "Lt Gen RP Kalita #ArmyCdrEC and All Ranks offer tribute to the supreme sacrifice of Nk Lengkholal and Sep Aldrin Hmingthanzuala, in the line of duty at Barrackpore while carrying out Assault River crossing exercise. Indian Army stands firm with the bereaved families," the Eastern Command tweeted on Thursday.
According to a report by the news agency IANS, their mortal remains were being flown back to their respective homes after completing the necessary formalities, including autopsies conducted to ascertain the cause of death. The army has set up a court of inquiry (CoI) to probe the incident that took place on Wednesday.
The incident occurred at the Sarovar Lake within the Barrackpore Cantonment, about 40 kilometres north of Kolkata. On Wednesday morning, six soldiers were participating in the exercise. While the first three soldiers made it safely, the rope snapped when the remaining were crossing. While one soldier could be rescued, the other two drowned.
An official from the Eastern Command said that assault river crossing exercises are held at the lake on a routine basis.
Such exercises are usually held with all the trappings of a real-life situation, including enemy posts maintaining watch. This means that the soldiers participating (in the exercise) are in full battle gear. It is a 'touch and go'situation if a soldier loses his grip on the rope unless he is an expert swimmer.
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"Unfortunately, that is how it is. The army needs to train its personnel for all situations. We have been part of such exercises. Life jackets are not an option, given the weight a soldier carries," a person familiar with developments told IANS.
The person said that incidents (like that of Wednesday) were unfortunate but rare, adding, a probe was certainly required to know why the rope snapped. "If somebody is found responsible, he should be punished," the person further said.
(With inputs from agencies)
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