Jaisalmer:An Army officer of Major rank was killed and two Lieutenant-rank officers were injured after their private SUV collided with a camel and overturned near the Jaisalmer Military Station late Thursday night.

The deceased has been identified as 30-year-old Major Hamza Arif, a resident of Indore, Madhya Pradesh. According to officials, the officer had been married only a month ago.

The accident occurred approximately 6 km from the district headquarters when a camel suddenly appeared in front of the officers’ private SUV as they were returning to the military station from Jaisalmer city. The impact caused the vehicle to overturn five times and drag for nearly 100 meters before crashing near the military boundary wall. The camel also died on the spot. Upon receiving news of the crash, Army personnel and officers rushed to the scene to rescue the three trapped officers from the mangled remains of the vehicle. They were rushed to the military station, where Major Hamza Arif succumbed to his injuries during treatment. The two other officers, identified as Lieutenant Abhinav Rathore and Lieutenant Ayushman Gusain, sustained injuries and are currently undergoing treatment at the Military Hospital.

According to ASI Jagdish Charan of the Sadar Police Station, the police received a late-night report that a vehicle had overturned after colliding with a camel on the road past the War Museum. Upon reaching the site, they found a dead camel by the roadside, which was subsequently moved. A private SUV was also found severely damaged near the military boundary wall.