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Another soldier's body recovered

SHIMLA: Security forces pulled out the body of an Army soldier from the Sutlej river in Kinnuar district of Himachal Pradesh on Monday, 18 days after a Bailey bridge collapsed on September 8, official sources here said.

The body, recovered from the river near Powari in the district, was identified to be that of Captain Mandal Vokil.

Kinnaur SDM Sumit Khimta said the body was identified from the driving licence recovered from his pocket.

At least 34 soldiers, including Lt. Colonel Amarjit Singh, Captain Mandel Vokil and Naib Subedar Vidhy Dharan, were killed after an under-construction Bailey bridge, nearing completion, over the Sutlej collapsed.

Mr. Khimta said Kinnuar Deputy Commissioner Mandeep Garg and SP Arvind Sharda had left for Kharo, the place where the bridge collapsed, to take stock of the situation following the recovery of the body. The body has been handed over to the Army, he said, adding that `sighting teams' comprising ITBP, the State police, Army officials and Home Guards were scouring downstream areas for the remaining bodies.

The bridge was one of the three being constructed by the Army in the district to restore vital communication road link in the Pooh sector of the district where strategic bridges were washed away on June 26 following a breach in an artificial lake in Tibet close to the Indian border. - UNI

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Another soldier's body recovered

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