New Delhi: Almost after more than one and a half years comes a report by an Australian newspaper “Klaxon” that China lost 42 soldiers in June 2020 Galwan Valley clash with Indian troops, at least nine times more than the four it had acknowledged. The report is by a group of social media researchers.

According to the report which is the outcome of an investigation lasting over a year, at least 38 Chinese soldiers were killed while attempting to cross the fast-flowing Galwan River in the early stages of the June 15-16 clash. The soldiers were crossing the river in sub-zero temperatures and in darkness.

Of the four soldiers China confirmed had died, only one – Junior Sergeant Wang Zhuoran- reportedly drowned, the investigative newspaper said, citing the report titled “Galwan Decoded”.

The report cited “several Weibo users” and said, “at least 38 PLA (People’s Liberation Army) troops along with Wang were washed away and drowned that night…of which only Wang was declared among the four officially dead soldiers”.

“Comrades in arms kept slipping and being rushed downstream,” the report said, adding, “After the incident, the bodies of the soldiers were first taken to Shiquanhe Martyr Cemetery, followed by local ceremonies at the local towns of the killed soldiers.”

It quoted a Weibo user (Qiang) as claiming to have served in the area. The user claimed that the Chinese army was creating infrastructure in the buffer zone, violating the mutual agreement and had been trying to expand its patrolling limits within the buffer zone since April 2020.

“PLA did not adhere to its promise…and instead of dismantling its own infrastructure as agreed upon, secretly dismantled the river crossing bridge constructed by the Indian army,” said the report.

Beijing went to “extreme lengths to silence discussion about the battle” and in particular, any “discussion about the true number Chinese casualties”.

The Klaxon cites the report as saying that a division of the Xinjiang Miltary Region “organized officers and soldiers to go to the Shiquane Martyr Cemetery to lay flowers to the revolutionary martyrs, organize party members to take an oath and sweep the tombs for heroes”.

The investigation involved “discussions with mainland Chinese bloggers, information obtained from mainland-based Chinese citizens and media reports that have since been deleted by Chinese authorities.”

India had officially announced that 20 soldiers were killed in action in the clashes that were the deadliest since the 1962 war.