Rani Khola Turns Into Water Grave for 4 Missing JawansSINGTAM, September 02: Four army men went missing today after their vehicle skidded off National Highway 31 between Tophakhani and Gangtok and fell into the Rani khola,a tributary of Teesta river.No jawans were rescued from the river, while it took few hours just to locate the Vehicle. It has not yet been hauled out of the river.The accident occurred around 8AM in Saturday morning when four army men were travelling from Sherwani to Gangtok.
“I could see some of the army men, struggling to stay afloat,” she said. “I found no rope to throw to them, but managed to get hold of some bamboo poles. There were not many other people around so it took a while when other local residents arrived on spot but there was no trace of anyone" a man said.
Another lady eye witness said she saw a Jawan standing on a Vehicle which was lying in middle of Teesta river shouting and screaming ,"Bachao Bachao" and she rushed back home to call other local residents and to bring a rope but when returned to spot , Jawan was swept away by force of Teesta river.“The Vehicle in front of my eyes suddenly went off the road, broke through the parapet and hurtled into the river 200ft below,” another eyewitness said.
The case has been registered at Singtam Police station against the driver of the truck under section 279/304-A (driving or riding on a public way so rashly or negligently as to endanger human life and causing death by rash or negligent act) of the Indian Penal Code and is under investigation.
Within the next couple of hours, army officials ,GREF personnel's from Singtam reached the spot. One Indian Air Force choppers hovered over the area trying to locate the vehicle and the missing persons.“We have tied ropes to the vehicle to prevent it from being swept away. Today itself , we will try to get it out of the river, while the search for the missing persons will also continue,” Army Officer in-charge of Rescue added.
