Srinagar
Eight soldiers are trapped in the snow after an avalanche hit army positions in the northern Siachen glacier today. The soldiers were a part of a patrolling group.
The avalanche took place at 3 pm in the northern glacier at an altitude of 18,000 feet.
The Army has launched a massive search and rescue operation to bring back the trapped soldiers.
“The soldiers were part of a patrol. They have been trapped at a height of between 18,000 and 19,000 feet above sea level after they were hit by a snow avalanche. Operations have been launched and are underway to search and rescue them,” a senior Army official told IANS.
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 the winters and temperatures can drop to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.
