NEW DELHI: In a tragic incident, a Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Army, an expert in handling ammunition, died due of a cardiac arrest while participating in a military training exercise in the desert of Pokhran in Rajasthan. Incidentally, this is third loss of life in the Army during the military exercise within a month.
According to defence officials, 39-year-old Ordnance Corps Officer Lt Colonel Pankaj Sharma was to take part in an ongoing military exercise when he suffered a cardiac arrest and passed away on Monday. The Army is making arrangements to airlift his mortal remains to his hometown for last rites. The officer, hailing from Dehradun is survived by his wife, Avantika and a 12-year-old son, defence officials said.
“Sharma was a sincere and mature officer and was an expert at handling ammunition,” an officer who served with him, said. Sharma was posted at Secunderabad from where he had come for the military exercise. Before that, he was posted near Lalgarh in Bikaner.
Nearly a month ago, a senior Colonel, Vishnu Prasad, 40, died of suspected swine flu at a forward location in the border area. Days before Colonel Prasad’s death, Major Dhruv Yadav, 32, lost his life in an explosion during a firing exercise there.