The bodies of two Para Special Forces (SF) soldiers who went missing after being swept away during a training exercise at the Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district were recovered on Thursday and Wednesday night.
The Indian Army has not yet officially confirmed either recovery or the identities of the deceased. A multi-agency search and rescue operation, including the army, Indian Air Force, NDRF, SDRF units from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, local police and civil authorities, was launched following the incident. The body of the first missing soldier was recovered along the Yamuna river bank near Bartha village in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district, 14km downstream from the barrage. He identified the deceased as Aryan Patil from Maharashtra, who was participating in special forces training at the barrage. A statement from the defence public relations officer (PRO) was awaited. the other two were swept away While three soldiers swam to safety. Search efforts utilised two helicopters and drones to conduct aerial surveys along the barrage and its parallel canals—the Western Yamuna Canal (WJC) and the Eastern Jamuna Canal (EJC).On the army’s request, the Haryana irrigation and water resources department reduced water discharge at the barrage and the WJC to assist rescue divers.
Divers and residents retrieved the second body nearly 200km downstream near a local market in Jind city, Haryana, said Ramesh Kumar, a retired captain of 1 Para SF residing in Jind. The incident occurred around 6 pm on Tuesday when a boat carrying five army personnel moving downstream near the barrage gates got caught in a powerful current and capsized.
He was identified as Ajay Kumar from Akhnoor, Jammu and Kashmir, according to police officers aware of the matter.
