Narrow escape for CEC Leh on Zanskar road

Leh, July 22: Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) of Leh, Shri Tashi Gyalson, narrowly escaped a serious mishap when his vehicle skidded off the treacherous Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) road and plunged into the Zanskar River. He was en route to attend the inauguration ceremony at Karsha Photang in Zanskar when the incident  occurred.According to reports, upon receiving information about the accident, the Officer Commanding of the 114 Road Construction Company (RCC) of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO), along with Major Ajay Kumar Chand and HMT Driver Patil Umesh Bhagwan, immediately launched a high-risk rescue operation. Braving extremely dangerous conditions, the team managed to safely evacuate CEC Gyalson and his security personnel from the partially submerged vehicle.Officials said the quick and courageous response by the 114 RCC team prevented what could have been a major tragedy. The accident underscores the perilous nature of the NPD road, a lifeline to remote Zanskar, known for its unpredictable terrain and harsh weather conditions.“I express my heartfelt gratitude to Major Chand and Driver Patil for their selfless service,” CEC Tashi Gyalson said in a post on social media platform ‘X’ after the rescue.Meanwhile authorities have issued a strict travel advisory restricting all vehicular movement on the Nimmu-Padum-Darcha (NPD) road from July 21 to July 23, 2025, following flash floods and multiple landslides that have rendered several stretches of the route impassable.It informed that the road is blocked due to flash flood and landslides at various location on Nimmu-Padum-Darcha road. So traffic movement is not possible from over NPD Road between Nimmu to padum. Restoration work at various location is under progress to open the road.