New Delhi: Three Indian Army Agniveers, who went missing during floods in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley on August 14, have been declared dead, with their identities confirmed through DNA testing, the Army said.
According to officials, the Agniveers — Aditya Kumar, Kundan Kumar, and Vinod Yadav – were deployed in the rugged Dibang region of Arunachal Pradesh when they went missing following a cloudburst that triggered landslides and flash floods.
Eastern Army Commander, Lt General V.M.B. Krishnan and all ranks of the Army paid tribute to the three soldiers for their service and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
The three Agniveers made the supreme sacrifice with valour while performing their duties, the Army said. Expressing solidarity with the bereaved families, it affirmed that it stands firmly with them during this hour of grief.
The identities of the soldiers were confirmed through DNA testing of mortal remains found several days after they went missing. The remains were subsequently handed over to their families. The urns containing their ashes reached their respective native villages on Saturday.
Aditya Kumar was a native of Bihar’s Vaishali, and his last rites were performed in Arunachal Pradesh with full military honours, after which his ashes were taken to his ancestral village.
Villagers in his native place organised a Tiranga Yatra to pay their final respects to the soldier. The procession was marked by tributes from residents, who gathered to bid farewell to the martyred soldier.
Vinod Yadav, a native of Uttar Pradesh’s Auraiya, and Kundan Kumar, from Bihar, had also gone missing during the August 14 floods in Dibang Valley. Their families had faced a prolonged period of uncertainty until their identities were confirmed through DNA testing and the remains were handed over, according to the Army.
In the monsoon season, heavy rains and associated natural disasters disrupted normal life across several states, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand. Floods and landslides threw daily life out of gear in many areas, while lightning strikes claimed lives and left many injured in various locations.
The Dibang region is characterised by rugged terrain and difficult geographical conditions, with Army personnel deployed there for security duties. The floods and landslides during the monsoon posed additional challenges to search and rescue operations.
(IANS)
