New Delhi: The bodies of two soldiers of 1 Parachute Battalion (Special Forces), who were swept away after an Indian Army boat capsized during training at Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana, were recovered on Thursday. The recovery ended a search operation that began after the September 1 accident and continued across the Yamuna and downstream canal network.
Hindustan Times reported that both bodies were recovered following the joint search operation. The report did not identify the soldiers or specify the precise locations where the bodies were found.
RNA Media reported earlier that the two soldiers went missing after an Army boat carrying five personnel capsized during joint watermanship training at Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar district. Three members of the crew managed to swim to safety, while the other two were swept downstream.
According to the Chandigarh based defence public relations officer, the boat developed a technical snag and was carried towards the downstream side of the barrage by strong currents. Army teams attempted to retrieve it, but the boat became trapped in strong eddies around the sluice gates and capsized.
Search expanded across Yamuna and canals
The accident triggered a multi-agency search involving the Indian Army, Indian Air Force (IAF), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams, local police and the civil administration. Two IAF helicopters were also deployed for aerial surveillance over Hathnikund Barrage and downstream areas.
Search teams covered the river, adjoining banks and canal systems branching from the barrage. Operations extended along the Western Yamuna canal towards Haryana and downstream stretches towards Uttar Pradesh as teams tried to trace the two missing personnel.
The Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department also reduced water discharge at Hathnikund Barrage following a request from the Army. Water released into the Western Yamuna canal was lowered to make conditions more manageable for personnel involved in the search.
The Western Army Command had said all available resources were being used to locate and recover the missing soldiers. Local police and civil administration teams also supported the operation along the river and downstream channels.
Recovery ends search operation
The recovery of both bodies on Thursday brought the search phase to an end after teams had continued operations through Wednesday and into the following day. Earlier reports had confirmed that search teams were still working across multiple stretches because strong currents could have carried the missing personnel further downstream.
Apart from reports of the recovery of bodies of the two soldiers, official details on their identities or the circumstances of the individual recoveries have not been made public at the time of publication.