In an accident on Saturday, at least five Army men in Eastern Ladakh perished after being washed away in the Shyok River.

Details are still pending, but sources have confirmed the deaths. The dead are from the Armoured Regiment of the Indian Army. The incident occurred near Mandir Morh, 148 kilometres from here, during an exercise around 1 a.m.
The Army men were crossing the river in a T-72 tank as part of a drill to practice movement in exigency. The tanks have the ability to float on water and keep moving forward.

The Shyok River is key water body that runs past the Depsang plains near Daulat Baig Oldie airfield.

The Shyok, a swift-moving river and tributary of the Indus, originates from the eastern face of the Rimo Kangri glacier.

The snowmelt caused the water levels to suddenly rise. There are no trees in the area, and the snowmelt from the mountain tops flows directly into the valley’s river.