Darjeeling(West Bengal): In a tragic incident a 31-year-old paratrooper died on the spot following a parachute malfunctioning in the the hilly regions of Sikkim, West Bengal along the Indo-China border on Tuesday. The paratroopers body was later recovered by the army and was sent for autopsy.
The victim identified as Laghial – a resident of of Ravangla in West Sikkim is a trained para-trooper and has been working with Paratrooper 6 Vikas Regiment for the last eight years.
According to sources, Laghial – as usual - went to the Indo-China border area for training on Tuesday. Like everyday he was taken by a helicopter to a height of 250 feet and was allowed to jump. Like everyday practise session Laghial made the jump but though the right clip of his parachute opened but the left one got stuck.
As a result, Laghial nosedived into a mountain ditch and died on the spot. As soon as the jawan's parachute malfunctioned the helicopter pilot informed the control room about the accident. Immediately the paratroopers begin to search for him for about one-and-a-half hours but in vain. The paratroopers then sought help from the Indian Army.
The army retrieved his gory body from the forest this afternoon. He was first taken to a local hospital in Sikkim where the doctor-on-duty declared him brought dead. Later his body was sent to North Bengal Medical College and Hospital for post-mortem. However, the officials were tightlipped on the matter. After the autopsy, the body was put in a coffin and handed over to the army by the hospital authorities.
