Two Soldiers Killed in Ammunition Loading Accident During Bikaner Training Exercise

Two Soldiers Killed: A report from news agency PTI stated that two Indian Army soldiers died on Wednesday in Mahajan field firing range, Bikaner, while loading ammunition into a tank during a training exercise.

The two soldiers, said by officials to have died on the spot, had only one seriously injured. The bodies of the deceased soldiers have been sent to Military Hospital in Suratgarh.

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An explosion happened during a training exercise, revealing that an accident had occurred. Senior officers, including CO Lunkaransar Narendra Poonia, rushed to the scene. Officials suspect the mishap to have occurred during the ammunition loading. “The charger exploded while the soldiers were loading the ammunition,” said the defence spokesperson.

“There were three soldiers who were practising with the tank. Ashutosh Mishra and Jitendra died in the explosion. The injured soldier has been taken to Chandigarh in a helicopter,” Circle Officer Lunkaransar (Bikaner) Narendra Kumar Poonia said.

While Mishra hailed from Uttar Pradesh's Deoria district, Jitendra hailed from Rajasthan's Dausa District.

This incident has become the second to record death in Mahajan firing range, Bikaner.

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On December 15, Havildar (Gunner) Chandra Prakash Patel of the 199th Medium Regiment died while towing a gun vehicle during a training exercise. The incident is reported by India Today to have occurred during a routine artillery deployment.

Defence officials reported that a gun battery detachment commander, Patel, 31, died in an operational exercise. The incident occurred around 9:40 pm while Patel was attempting to attach an artillery piece to a towing vehicle. The vehicle lost grip on the ramp of a gun pit and slipped backwards, injuring him fatally.

An ambulance from the Army took Patel to the nearest Field Hospital, but he died during treatment. A court of inquiry has been called to investigate the case. Defence sources confirmed to India Today that this case qualifies as a battle casualty due to being a death during an operational exercise.

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