Bagdogra/Gangtok, December 24
The mortal remains of the 16 Army personnel who were killed in a road accident in Sikkim were sent to their respective homes after a solemn wreath-laying ceremony was held at Bagdogra airport in the northern part of West Bengal on Saturday.
Post the wreath-laying ceremony, 15 of the bodies were flown by special Air Force aircraft to various airports in the country, from where they will be taken to the victims’ towns or villages, the Army said.
The body of Naib Subedar Chandan Kumar Mishra, who belonged to Khagaria in Bihar, was taken to his native place by road.
“After the bodies reach the native places of deceased soldiers, local Army authorities will coordinate the handing over of mortal remains to the family members and conduct of funeral with full military honours,” an Army official said.
The 16 bravehearts lost their lives when the Army truck they were travelling in skidded down a steep slope at Zema in North Sikkim on Friday morning.
Wreaths were laid on the mortal remains of the deceased soldiers at Bagdogra airport, near Siliguri city, at a solemn ceremony after the bodies reached the facility shortly after 12.30 pm from Libing helipad in East Sikkim, an Army official said.
The deceased were accorded a gun salute.
Sikkim Governor Ganga Prasad, Chief Minister Prem Singh Tamang, General Officer Commanding (GOC) of Trishakti Corps Lt General VPS Kaushik, and other Army and Air Force officials paid their last respects to the deceased soldiers, he said.
The mortal remains were earlier brought to Sochethang near Gangtok in Army vehicles from the accident site and post-mortem examinations were conducted.
Senior civil and police officials were present at the hospital to pay their last respects to the departed souls.
The ill-fated Army truck in which the deceased jawans were travelling was part of a three-vehicle convoy that was travelling from Chatten to Thangu, the Army statement said.
