Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Sep 27: Three Indian Army Agniveers who went missing during floods in Arunachal Pradesh’s Dibang Valley on August 14 have been declared dead after their identities were confirmed through DNA testing, the Army said.

The Agniveers — Aditya Kumar, Kundan Kumar and Vinod Yadav — were deployed in the rugged Dibang region when they went missing following a cloudburst that triggered landslides and flash floods.

Eastern Army Commander Lt General V.M.B. Krishnan and all ranks of the Army paid tribute to the three soldiers and expressed condolences to their bereaved families.

The Army said the three Agniveers made the supreme sacrifice with valour while performing their duties. It also expressed solidarity with their families and assured them of its support during the hour of grief.

The identities of the soldiers were established through DNA testing of mortal remains recovered several days after they went missing. The remains were subsequently handed over to their respective families. Urns containing their ashes reached their native villages on Saturday.

Aditya Kumar, a native of Vaishali in Bihar, was accorded full military honours during his last rites in Arunachal Pradesh. His ashes were later taken to his ancestral village.

Villagers in his native place organised a Tiranga Yatra to pay their final respects to the soldier. Residents gathered in large numbers and paid tribute as the procession was held in his memory.

Vinod Yadav, a native of Auraiya in Uttar Pradesh, and Kundan Kumar from Bihar had also gone missing during the August 14 floods in Dibang Valley. Their families remained uncertain about their fate for several weeks before their identities were confirmed through DNA testing and the mortal remains were handed over, the Army said.

The monsoon season brought heavy rains and natural disasters to several parts of the country, including Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Kerala, Mizoram, Tripura, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

Floods and landslides disrupted normal life in several areas, while lightning strikes also claimed lives and left many people injured at various locations.

The Dibang region is marked by rugged terrain and challenging geographical conditions, with Army personnel deployed there for security duties. The floods and landslides during the monsoon further complicated search and rescue operations.