Four army jawans and two locals have lost their lives after an avalanche hit Army men in Siachen, at around 3:00 PM on November 18. The jawans and the two civilians were on their way from one post to the other at 19,000-feet in the Northern glacier when the tragedy struck.
Out of eight people who were stuck in the avalanche triggered by the mild earthquake, seven people were critically injured.
The army immediately deployed Avalanche Rescue teams, and the injured were taken to the nearest military hospital through helicopters. The rescue teams reached the Siachen sector at around 6:30 PM since it was the highest point and in winters the temperature goes less than -50 degrees.
Speaking to The Indian Express, a senior defence official from Srinagar said, “It was an army patrol of eight personnel. The avalanche took place at a high altitude. The temperatures are very low in the area.”
“All eight personnel were pulled out of the avalanche debris, and seven persons who were critically injured, accompanied by medical teams, were taken by helicopters to the nearest Military Hospital, the Srinagar-based defence spokesperson said. Despite their efforts, six people succumbed to extreme hypothermia, including four soldiers and two civilian porters,” he added.
Siachen sector is considered as the world’s highest battlefield, where Indian and Pakistani troops range against each other. Indian military officials told that the soldiers from the Siachen sector are not removed because Pakistan is refusing to plot another the position it holds. India cannot take a step back because they contain a commanding position in the glacier.
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