Last rites of soldier killed in Sikkim cloudburst performed at Rajasthan’s Sikar

Sikar (Rajasthan) [India], October 9 (ANI): The last rites of slain soldier Sajjan Singh Khichad who died in the Sikkim cloudburst incident, were performed with military honours on Sunday at Rajasthan’s Sikar.

Visuals from the spot showed that a huge crowd had assembled at his residence when he was laid to rest. The army officer presented the Indian flag to the mother of the deceased.

“I had last spoken to him on video call. He said that he will have his meal and sleep,” the deceased soldier’s son said to ANI on the last time he spoke to his father.

Bharatiya Janata Party Lok Sabha MP Sumedhanand Saraswati offered his condolences to the family of the deceased.

“Our soldiers protect our borders and during any disaster, they come forward. It is sad that some soldiers died in the disaster. Being a representative from this parliamentary constituency, I pay respect to his departed soul. I pray to god to give strength to his family to overcome this loss. We promise to help them in future,” the Sikar Lok Sabha MP said.

The Indian Army on Saturday said that search and rescue efforts are underway to locate and rescue the remaining 14 missing soldiers and other civilians in recent Sikkim flash floods.

The Army in a statement said that Army Chief General Manoj Pande and all ranks of the Indian Army express heartfelt condolences on the sad demise of eight Indian Army soldiers in the unfortunate incident of flash floods arising out of a glacial lake burst in Sikkim.

“We stand firm with the bereaved families in this hour of grief. COAS and all ranks Indian Army also expressed grief at the loss of civilian lives in this tragic incident,’ it said.

“Concerted search and rescue efforts are ongoing to locate and rescue the remaining 14 missing soldiers and other civilians,” the release further added.