Autopsy shows 15 soldiers had head injuries, drowned The Galwan river was freezing cold on the night when the clash happened. With 100 soldiers fighting on the narrow ridge, where not even four people can walk, many of them fell off the ridge

At least 15 of the 20 soldiers of the Indian Army, who were martyred in the fierce clashes with the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at Galwan valley on the night of June 15, suffered head injuries, fell of the ridge and drowned in the icy waters of the Galwan river.

The remaining five, who were found dead at different places in the valley, succumbed to deep head injuries. A total of 76 Indian soldiers were injured in the clashes.

Doctors at the Army hospital in Leh submitted the postmortem reports of the soldiers to the top Army officials on Thursday. In due course, the reports would be sent to the families of the soldiers, including that of Colonel B. Santosh Babu of Suryapet.

Sources told Deccan Chronicle that though the Galwan river is fast flowing, it is not very deep but was freezing cold that night. “Hardly four people can walk on the narrow ridge where the clashes took place. Imagine 100 soldiers fighting on the ridge for hours on a cold dark night,” they said of Patrolling Point 14, where troops were engaged in a fierce hand-to-hand combat for close to five hours.

“Since they suffered injuries mostly on the head, many of them had lost consciousness as they fell off the ridge. Some may have fallen unconscious just seconds before they fell in the river. Even if some were conscious while falling in the river, heavy bleeding from the injuries and the freezing temperatures might have killed them. All got washed away as the river is fast flowing,” sources said.