Army jawan dies as raft capsizes in Teesta river in Sikkim

Gangtok, Dec 23 (PTI) An Army jawan died after a raft capsized in the Teesta river during a training exercise in Sikkim's Pakyong district, police said on Tuesday.

The accident occurred during an annual rafting training programme for soldiers on Monday when a raft struck a damaged structure of a bridge and capsized in the river, and the jawan was swept away, a senior officer said.

The iron bridge was damaged and fell into the river during the 2023 floods.

An operation was immediately launched by the Army along with a team from Teesta Rescue Centre, he said.

The body was recovered from the downstream of the river at Tar Khola under the Kalimpong district of West Bengal, and was sent for post-mortem examinations, the officer said.

The deceased was identified as Lance Naik Rajasekhar of the 191 Artillery Regiment, he said.

The rafting was underway between Bardang and Rangpo Mining when the accident occurred, he said. PTI CORR BDC