Flash flood kills 5 Army Personnel travelling in T-72 Tank in Ladakh

In a tragic incident on 28 June 2024 night, five Army personnel lost their lives after a mishap occurred in the Nyoma-Chushul area of Eastern Ladakh. 

One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and four jawans were returning after the tank exercise when their T-72  Tank got stuck in the Shyok River near Saser Brangsa in the Nyoma-Chushul area of Eastern Ladakh. The tank got stuck in the river due to the sudden increase in its water level.

The Army rescue team, which rushed to the spot, were unable to save the crew member of the ill-fated T-72 tanks due to the strong water current of the river.

The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi. Army chief General Manoj Pande expressed their grief at the incident and offered condolences to the bereaved family members.

The T-72 tank of the Indian Army 

The T-72 tank was designed and developed by the Soviet Union as its main battle tank, and it started production in 1971.

In 1982, the government of India signed an agreement with the Soviet Union to buy T72 tanks. Some of the tanks were imported from the Soviet Union, and others were manufactured in India at the Heavy Vehicles Factory in Avadi, Chennai. 

India bought around 2000 tanks from the Soviet Union during 1982-86.

India later modernised and upgraded the T-72 tanks, which are now called the T-72 Ajeya Tank. The Indian Army deployed the T-72 Ajeya tank in Ladakh after the clash with the Chinese Army in Galwan in 2020.

In 2001, the Union Ministry of Defence launched Operation Rhino to modernise the T-72 tanks of the Indian Army. Operation Rhino was launched after the failure of the DRDO’s Main Battle tank, Arjun.

Under operation, Rhino T-72 Ajeya tank will be modernised and will be called as Combat Improved (CI) Ajeya.

About Shyok River 

The Shok River originates from the Rimo Glacier, part of the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh. It flows along the Karakoram range, enters the Gilgit Baltistan area, and merges with the Indus River at Keris, east of Skardu ( Gilgit Baltistan ).

The total length of the Shyok River is around 550 km, and its main right-bank tributary is the Nubra in Ladakh.

Gilgit Baltistan is an illegally occupied area of Kashmir by Pakistan.