NEW DELHI: A 55-year-old official of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) has succumbed to COVID-19, the first death from the pandemic in the border guarding force.
Officials said on Friday that the deceased was a head constable rank official and was posted in the 25th battalion of the force based in Delhi.
The official, who was also suffering from some kidney ailments, succumbed to COVID-19 on Thursday, they said.
This is the first death from the virus in the about 80,000 personnel strong force that is tasked to guard the 1,751 km open Indian front with Nepal and 699 km border with Bhutan.
This is the ninth death among the Central Armed Police Forces or paramilitary forces that work under the command of the Union home ministry for rendering a variety of internal security duties apart from border guarding.
The Central Industrial Security Force has reported four COVID-19 deaths, while the Central Reserve Police Force and the Border Security Force had recorded two personnel each succumbing to the disease.
The National Security Guard (NSG) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) have also reported few cases of coronavirus infection.