New Delhi (NVI): As many as six people including four soldiers were killed and two injured when an eight member patrol team was hit by an avalanche in Northern Sector of Siachen Glacier today afternoon.
According to officials, The avalanche struck at an altitude of 19,000 feet. Avalanche Rescue Teams from the nearby posts were immediately rushed to the location for search and rescue operations.
“All the eight personnel were pulled out of the avalanche debris. Seven critically injured, accompanied by medical teams, providing critical care were evacuated by helicopters to the nearest Military Hospital,” officials said.
Despite best efforts, six including four soldiers and two civilian porters succumbed due to extreme hypothermia, officials said.
The Siachen Glacier area in the Karakoram mountains is located in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
India on October 21 announced that the Siachen Glacier area will be open for tourists now, about 35 years after the world’s highest battlefield was closed for civilians.
