Soldier Killed, Another Rescued After Avalanche Hits Army Post in Kargil
SRINAGAR: A month after 10 soldiers were killed in a massive snow avalanche in Siachen glacier, an army man was killed and another rescued in injured condition after their post was hit by an avalanche in Kargil area of Jammu and Kashmir.
Defence spokesman in Srinagar Colonel N N Joshi said an avalanche triggered by a mild earthquake hit an army post located at an altitude of 17500 feet in Kargil sector at about 10.45 pm on March 17.
He said two soldiers, who were on surveillance duty in the post, went missing after the avalanche hit their post.
The army men, Joshi said, launched immediate operations to rescue the missing soldiers.
“One of the missing soldier identified as sepoy Sujit was rescued in the injured condition by the rescuers,” he said.
Joshi said efforts to rescue the second soldier continued despite hostile weather conditions. “Rescue teams of the Army recovered the body of missing soldier Sepoy Vijay Kumar K from under 12 feet of snow today, the third day of a search operation,” he said.
The army, according to Joshi, had pressed avalanche rescue dogs, deep penetration radars and metal detectors into service in the rescue operation.
He said the deceased soldier Vijay Kumar K belongs to Vallaramapuram village of Thirunelvelli district of Tamil Nadu.
He is survived by parents and two younger sisters.
“Army is in the process of evacuating his mortal remains from the area after which they will be moved to his native place where the cremation ceremony will take place with full military honours,” he said.
The defence spokesman said the rescued soldier Sepoy Sujit is medically stable and recovering well.
Army’s Northern command chief Lt Gen DS Hooda has expressed his deep condolences to the family of Sepoy Vijay Kumar K.
It was the third major avalanche to struck army post in Ladakh area of J&K in three months.
10 soldiers of Madras Regiment including Junior Commissioned Officer (JKC) were killed after the army post located at a height of 19600 feet in Siachen glacier was hit by a massive snow avalanche in February.
In January also, four soldiers were killed after their post in Siachen glacier was hit by the avalanche.
The Siachen glacier is the world’s highest battlefield, where the minimum temperature dips to -50 degree Celsius in winters.