Three soldiers killed, five trapped in multiple avalanches in Kashmir, rescue operation on

According to MeT department officials, Srinagar received 83.9 mm rain and snowfall since April 6

By: PTI News Agency |
April 7, 2017 11:53 am

On April 6, three soldiers succumbed to injuries when multiple avalanche hit Batalik sector of Kashmir. As many as five soldiers were trapped at an Army post after multiple avalanches hit Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, an Army official said.

“Unprecedented snowfall triggered multiple avalanches in Batalik Sector in which a post was buried. Five soldiers were trapped under the snow,” an army official said.

Two of them have been rescued, while efforts are on to save the other three, he said.

“Rescue operation for the remaining three soldiers is in progress. Specially trained Avalanche Rescue Teams have been deployed to rescue them,” the official said.

According to MeT department officials, Srinagar received 83.9 mm rain and snowfall since yesterday while Kokernag in south Kashmir received 69.9 mm of rains in that period.

Pahalgam, also in south Kashmir, recorded rainfall of 64.2 mm of rains since yesterday.

#UPDATE: Two soldiers have succumbed to their injuries after multiple avalanches in Batalik Sector (J&K). pic.twitter.com/z4ZJ3B8td5

— ANI (@ANI_news) April 7, 2017

As many as 20 Army personnel including a major and a Junior Commissioned Officer lost their lives in three separate incidents of avalanches in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal, Gurez in Bandipora and Machhil in Kupwara districts in January this year.

Earlier, high and medium danger avalanche warnings were issued on April 6 for areas in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

The advisory was issued by the Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE), part of the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).”High-danger avalanche warning is in place for slopes and areas of Kargil in Jammu and Kashmir,” the SASE said.