Two soldiers of the Indian Army Special Forces are missing after a motorboat in a training exercise was lost due to a mishap at Hathnikund Barrage in Yamunanagar, Haryana. A motorboat crashed during a routine training drill in strong water currents, an Indian Army spokesman said. The Indian Army's Special Forces were on a military drill, and the motorboat broke down in a training exercise in the city where the motorboat had already been sent for training but was to be used in the training.
According to initial reports, four Army personnel were swept away by the powerful current after the motorboat mishap. Two of them were rescued, and the other two were lost. Search and rescue teams are on the ground to find the missing troops.
Hathnikund Barrage has triggered a rapid response from security and disaster management teams searching rivers and the water bodies and downstream area of the river. The strong current is thought to have made the operation particularly challenging.
They were in the Army’s training exercise to enhance their operational readiness and their ability to handle challenging terrain and water conditions,” said the Army chief. Special Forces training exercises are part of the Army’s training, and personnel are constantly exposed to high-risk and tough-to-do work.
The rescue teams began searching the river and the river channel and downstream areas after the incident started. A wider area is being searched to find the two missing people as quickly as possible.
🚨 BREAKING: 2 Army Special Forces personnel are missing after a motorboat malfunctioned during a training drill at Hathnikund Barrage, Yamunanagar, Haryana.
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) September 2, 2026
2 others were rescued after being swept away by the strong current.
Search operations are underway. PRAYERS 🙏…
The two people who were rescued are being attended to after the incident. We don’t have much information about their condition and the identities of the missing soldiers yet.
Hathnikund Barrage is located in Yamunanagar district and is one of the major water control structures on the Yamuna River. The water flow in and around the barrage is very strong, and rescue operations are very difficult if there are people in there. This is a very bad situation, and the teams are struggling.
The incident also highlighted the risks of military training exercises, especially where there are water crossings and strong currents. Safety measures are put in place in such drills and trained personnel are put in place, but if equipment breaks or water situations change suddenly, you could be in trouble.
Authorities and rescue personnel are still looking for the missing Special Forces personnel. Search efforts will continue until the soldiers are found, he said.
The Army and local administration will provide further updates as the rescue operation continues. The exact sequence of events and the conditions of those involved will still have to be determined until official confirmation is made in this case, and so on.
The two missing soldiers are now being looked after and are safe, the commander said.
