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7 Assam Rifles personnel killed in mishap

August 14, 2009 18:33 IST

Seven soldiers of the 32 battalion of Assam Rifles were killed and 30 others injured when the truck they were traveling in fell into a gorge about eight kilometers from Tenning in the remote Peren district of Nagaland.

The mishap occurred around 11:30 pm on Wednesday, according to a delayed report received in Guwahati on Friday.

A defence source in Nagaland informed that six of the jawans died on the spot while one died in hospital at Dimapur.

Condition of 13 of the injured is stated to be critical.

Seven of the critically injured

jawans have been airlifted to Kolkata for special treatment.

The Assam Rifles personnel were returning from a company post located about 10 km from the 32 Battalion headquarter, when the truck skidded off the road and rolled down about 120 feet below.

The bodies of the seven deceased were handed over to Assam Rifles authorities after post mortem.

The actual cause of the accident has not been confirmed yet. Police suspect that the mishap could have occurred either due to mechanical failure or the driver failing to negotiate a sharp bend on the road.

K Anurag in Guwahati