Indian Army Major Killed as SUV Hits Camel Near Jaisalmer Military Station

India: A serving Indian Army Major was killed and two Lieutenant-rank officers were injured late Thursday night when their SUV collided with a camel and overturned multiple times near the Jaisalmer Military Station.

According to reports, the three officers were returning to the military station from the city around 12:30 am when a camel suddenly appeared on the road near the War Museum, about six kilometres from Jaisalmer district headquarters. The black Tata Safari, driven by the Major, struck the animal, overturned nearly five times, and skidded about 100 metres before coming to a halt. The camel also died on the spot.

Army personnel rushed to the scene, rescued the three officers trapped in the mangled vehicle, and took them to the Military Hospital at Jaisalmer Military Station. Major Hamza Arif, 30, a resident of Indore in Madhya Pradesh, succumbed to his injuries during treatment. He had got married just a month earlier.

The two injured officers, Lieutenant Abhinav Rathore and Lieutenant Ayushman Gusain, are undergoing treatment at the military hospital. Their condition is being closely monitored.

The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the Jaisalmer Military Station. Police and Army authorities have launched an investigation into the accident.