Siachen avalanche kills Army captain, 15 rescued

An Indian army officer was killed and a soldier received injuries after they came under a snow avalanche at Siachen Glacier in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday.

In 2011, an avalanche had hit a Pakistani Army camp in the glacier area, killing over 100 troops.

Army Captain Ashwani Kumar who lost his life in an avalanche in Siachen glacier of Ladakh sector was today cremated here with full military honours.

Goswami said the mortal remains of the deceased officer were sent to Patiala, his native place.

Without specifying how many soldiers were part of the army patrol party, he said soldiers immediately launched rescue operation to rescue the men trapped in the avalanche.

Siachen is regarded as the world’s highest battlefield where the Indian and Pakistan Army face each other in an eyeball-to-eyeball situation. Landslides and avalanches are often triggered from its mountains during frequent rains and heavy snow the region receives.

There have been calls of demilitarization of the glacier from environmentalists, a demand rejected by New Delhi, which occupies major portion of the glacier.

Kashmir has a rugged terrain.