Nellore: In a tragic incident, a 29-year-old Army jawan P. Kartheek Kumar Reddy from Vepurikota village in Mulakalacheruvu mandal of Chittoor district was killed when a pile of snow landed on him when on duty close to Manali in Himachal Pradesh on Friday evening.
Kartheek had joined the Indian Army in 2011 and worked in various sectors. During his latest duty near Manali, he and other soldiers had been involved in removing snow piles from roads to ensure free flow of traffic. A huge pile of snow fell on Kartheek while he was involved in snow-clearing operations around 4 p.m. on Friday, burying him completely. Following a rescue operation, his body was discovered at about 8 p.m.
Army officers conveyed the news of Kartheek’s death to the latter’s brother Kranthi Kumar Reddy.
According to family members, Kartheek is the elder son of Peddavula Narayana Reddy. After his selection into the Army in 2011, he completed his training at Bengaluru and joined duties at Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. He was later transferred to Mumbai sector. Kartheek’s father Narayana Reddy died due to health issues in May 2020. He had visited his hometown Vepurikota in May this year to see his aged mother Sarojinamma. Kartheek had been transferred to Udayapur-Tindi sector recently.
A pall of gloom has descended over Vepurikota.
