At least six army personnel were killed and another went missing after a snow avalanche hit their posts on Siachen Glacier near Line of Control(LoC) on Sunday morning at 6:15 a.m.
"In a tragic incident today, six soldiers were killed and one went missing when their posts at a height of over 17000 feet were buried under an avalanche in Sub Sector Hanif, Turtuk area of the Siachen Glacier.
Immediately the avalanche rescue teams along with rescue dogs were pressed in to retrieve the bodies," Lt. Col J S Brar, army spokesman in Srinagar, said.
So far six bodies have been retrieved from the snow while as the body of another soldier was missing.
Brar said that the rescue operation was halted due to adverse weather conditions in the area.
Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Cell has issued a medium danger avalanche warning advising people residing in upper reaches not to venture in avalanche prone areas.
"A medium danger avalanche warning for the snowbound areas of Banihal, Chowkibal, Tangdhar, Machil, Keran, Gurez, Sonamarg, Drass and higher reaches of Kargil and Gulmarg has been issued. People living in snow bound areas are advised not to venture in steep avalanche prone slopes," Aamir Ali, coordinator Disaster Management Cell.
This is for the first time in several years that an avalanche has hit an Indian position in the glacier area, the sources said.
The Assam unit is part of the 102 Siachen Brigade and is located at altitudes of around 15-16,000 feet, they said.
An avalanche had hit a Pakistani Army camp in the glacier area last year killing over 100 troops. India has deployed its troops in Siachen for close to 30 years now and has lost more people to the weather and terrain than to enemy bullets.
Sunday 16 December 2012
Read more at: http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/avalanche-in-siachen/1/238061.html
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