Bodies of 4 soldiers recovered from Gurez Sector of Kashmir, death toll rises to 14

SRINAGAR: The death of soldiers, who were killed as two avalanches that hit Gurez Sector of Kashmir,has risen to fourteen after the bodies of four soldiers were recovered on Friday an army official said. An avalanche hit an army camp in Gurez sector of Bandipora district near the Line of Control last evening in which several soldiers were trapped, the army official said. He said rescue operations were launched and seven soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer were saved. "Bodies of three soldiers were retrieved his morning," he said on Thursday. The official said another avalanche hit a patrol party which was on its way to a post in Gurez sector last evening. "Rescue teams have so far retrieved seven bodies from the spot of the incident," the official said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi condoled the death of the soldiers in avalanches. In a tweet, the Prime Minister said he was "deeply saddened" at the death of the jawans. "Deeply saddened at the death of our Veer jawans in avalanche in Kashmir. Have directed the authorities for speedy search and rescue ops," the Prime Minister wrote on twitter. Yesterday, an officer was killed an avalanche at Sonamarg in central Kashmir Ganderbal district while four members of a family died in another avalanche in Gurez sector yesterday. Authorities have issued a high danger avalanche warning in hilly parts of snow-bound Kashmir valley in view of fresh snowfall which has been going on intermittently for past three days.