The three members of the 30th Mountain Troops Battalion who lost their lives after the truck they were in overturned in a ravine in Arges County, were buried on Sunday afternoon, with military honours, in the presence of hundreds of persons, including representatives of the Ministry of Defence.
Mihai Ionut Toma was buried at the cemetery in Matau village, Mioarele locality; George-Emilian Catana at the cemetery in Voinesti village, Leresti locality; and Petre Cristian Toader at the cemetery in Campulung municipality’s Marcus district. The soldiers were buried with military honours.
The three soldiers’ colleagues posted a message on the Facebook page of the Ministry of Defence: “Farewell, dear comrades! Today we say goodbye to our three colleagues who died in the unfortunate accident in Urdii Valley. May God have them under His protection!”
Defence Minister Adrian Tutuianu went to Arges County on Sunday morning, in order to convey his condolences to the families of the soldiers posthumously promoted to the rank of junior lieutenants, and to lay wreaths at their tombs.
“The news about their death, which occurred on the way back from their mission at Cincu, fell like a lightning bolt within their families and among their friends and colleagues, those who knew them and appreciated them as fighters and people. In the terrible accident in Urdii Valley, the Army lost three elite soldiers, all veterans of theatres of operations, strong and proud men raised in the rough school of alpine troops. I assure the families of the three junior lieutenants that we are by their side in their terrible pain and we’ll remain their support from now on. The whole Army will cherish the sacrifice of posthumous junior lieutenants Mihai Ionut Toma, George-Emilian Catana and Petre Cristian Toader and will keep an eternal and pious memory of them,” Minister Tutuianu stated.
The Military Prosecutor’s Office attached to the Bucharest Military Court has opened a criminal file for the accident that left three soldiers dead and nine others injured. All of them were members of the Mountain Troops Battalion based in Campulung Muscel.
“A truck with 13 soldiers onboard, belonging to the 30th Mountain Troops Battalion, was involved in a traffic accident today, June 29, around 9.55 p.m., close to Urdei Valley locality, Arges County. The truck, the last in a column of four military vehicles traveling from Cincu to Campulung, overturned on the side of the road,” the MoD announced at the time. (News.ro)
