Two Army Personnel Killed As Avalanche Hits Southern Siachen Glacier

The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.

Army helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims.(Representative Image/ Getty)

Jammu: At least two soldiers of the Indian Army were killed after they were trapped in an avalanche in southern Siachen Glacier at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet on Saturday morning, officials said. "An Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) following the Army patrol team immediately rushed to the spot and managed to locate and pull out all its members," the Indian Army said in a statement. This is for the second time that an incident like this has taken place in Siachen within last two weeks. On November 18, four Army soldiers and two civilian porters died after they were trapped in an avalanche on the Siachen Glacier's northern sector. "Simultaneously, Army helicopters were pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims. However, despite the best efforts by the medical teams, two Army personnel succumbed to their injuries," the statement added. An Army patrol operating at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in Southern Siachen Glacier was hit by an avalanche during the early hours of Saturday, Srinagar-based defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said in a statement. He said an Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) following the patrol immediately rushed and managed to locate and pull out all members of the patrol. As per reports, army helicopters too were simultaneously pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims. "Despite the best efforts by the medical teams, two Army personnel, however, perished in the avalanche," the official told news agency PTI. The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarised zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds.  Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during winters with temperatures often dropping to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius. During the November 18 avalanche, seven out of the eight army personnel who were severely injured were pulled out of the debris and rushed to the nearest military hospital. The injured were also provided critical care by the medical teams. However, four soldiers out of them and two civilian porters succumbed to injuries after extreme hypothermia.