A tragic training accident in Rajasthan has claimed the life of an Indian Army soldier after a military tank sank into the Indira Gandhi canal. The incident occurred on Tuesday morning, December 4, 2025, during a routine exercise near Suratgarh.
Details of the Tragic Incident
Deepak Khorwal, a 32-year-old Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO) hailing from West Bengal, lost his life in the mishap. According to officials, the tank was involved in a standard training drill that involves taking the vehicles into water. However, on this occasion, the tank became submerged in the canal.
Rohitash Kumar, the Investigating Officer and in-charge of the local police outpost, provided details. "While a commander managed to escape, Khorwal was sitting inside and could not get out," Kumar stated. The accident took place around 9:30 am in a section of the canal that is approximately 200 feet wide and 30 feet deep.
Challenging Recovery Operation
The recovery operation proved to be lengthy and difficult. Both the tank and the soldier's body were retrieved only around 6:30 pm, nearly nine hours after the tank initially sank. This delay underscores the challenging conditions presented by the canal's dimensions.
Kalawati Choudhary, the Station House Officer (SHO) of Rajiasar police station, confirmed that a formal death record, or 'marg', has been registered. "A postmortem was conducted today and the body has been handed over to the army," Choudhary said.
Investigation and Official Response
While the Indian Army has not yet released an official statement regarding the incident, preliminary indications point towards a possible technical failure. Investigating Officer Rohitash Kumar noted, "The tanks are taken into water as part of the training. There must have been a technical issue which led to the tank sinking into the water."
The incident has cast a spotlight on the inherent risks involved in military training exercises, even those considered routine. The loss of Jawan Deepak Khorwal is a solemn reminder of the dangers faced by armed forces personnel in their preparation for national duty. The community and his colleagues mourn the loss of the soldier from West Bengal, as authorities continue to investigate the precise cause of the tank's malfunction.
