Hyderabad: Indian Army personnel deployed for the country’s security often have to travel through treacherous routes in vehicles, especially in the hilly states of Jammu and Kashmir, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and other regions. During these journeys, Army vehicles have sometimes slipped off the road and fallen into ravines due to various reasons. Several soldiers have lost their lives in these accidents. Although the Army conducts rescue operations after such incidents, it has not been able to completely prevent these accidents.
The possible reasons for these accidents include the driver losing control, narrow and winding roads, and the risk of skidding on turns. In January, snowfall or cold weather can make the roads slippery. During this time, controlling heavy armored vehicles (like the Casper) at high altitudes becomes difficult, especially if the vehicle is speeding or the brakes fail. The accident is not just a single incident, but a symbol of the challenges faced by the Army in mountainous regions.
Timeline of Incidents where Army Vehicles Fell into Ravines
January 22, 2026: At least 10 soldiers were killed and 11 others injured in a vehicle accident on the Bhaderwah-Chamba road in the upper reaches of Thanala in Doda district. A total of 21 soldiers were traveling in the vehicle, which skidded off the road. Ten soldiers died on the spot, and 11 seriously injured soldiers were referred to a higher health center. This is a timeline of major accidents involving Army personnel who lost their lives in vehicles falling into ravines.
May 4, 2025: Three Army personnel, including a Junior Commissioned Officer, died in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ramban district when their vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a 500-meter-deep ravine. The Army truck was part of a convoy traveling from Jammu to Srinagar on National Highway-44. The three soldiers in the vehicle were found dead at the scene. December 24, 2024: Five soldiers were killed and five others injured in a tragic road accident near the Line of Control (LoC) in the Balnoi area of Mendhar in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district on the evening of December 24, 2024. The accident occurred when a convoy of six vehicles traveling from Neelam Headquarters to Balnoi Ghora Post skidded off the road and fell into a 300-foot-deep gorge.
September 5, 2024: Four Indian Army personnel died in a road accident while traveling from Pedong in West Bengal to Zuluk in Sikkim. The accident occurred on the Silk Route in Sikkim’s Pakyong district. The vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge approximately 700 to 800 feet deep, near Dalopchand Dara on the Rhenock Rongli State Highway, also known as the Silk Route. August 27, 2024: Three Army personnel were killed and four others injured when a truck fell into a deep gorge in Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district.
January 11, 2023: Three soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), died after falling into a deep gorge while patrolling along the Line of Control in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. The JCO and two other soldiers were on a routine patrol in the Machil sector when they slipped and fell into the gorge.
August 19, 2023: At least nine soldiers, including a Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), were killed in an accident in Leh district of Ladakh. The Army said the vehicle carrying the soldiers fell into a gorge 7 kilometers short of Kiari town.
December 23, 2022: An Army truck fell into a gorge in North Sikkim, killing 16 soldiers. The truck carrying the soldiers skidded off the road in a mountainous area. The truck was part of a three-vehicle convoy that had left from Chhaten towards Thangu in the morning. July 14, 2021: An army jawan was killed and four others were seriously injured when a truck fell into a gorge in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
June 30, 2021: An army truck plunged into a 600-foot-deep gorge about 10 kilometers from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim, killing four soldiers and seriously injuring two others. All of them belonged to the Kumaon Regiment.
