Efforts are being made to search for the missing soldier, says the army. (Representational Image)
Highlights
- Two soldiers were swept away, one rescued from avalanche
- Rescued soldier succumbed to his injuries
- Efforts on to locate missing soldier in Siachen's Turtuk sector
Two soldiers got buried under snow in Ladakh's Turtuk today after an avalanche struck an army patrol this morning. One of the soldiers who was rescued has died; the other is still missing.
Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang was immediately retrieved and evacuated to the nearest medical facility, but could not be revived by the medical team, the army said.
"Massive efforts are on to locate the missing soldier, in spite of inclement weather in the area," the Army added.
Turtuk is one of the gateways to the Siachen glacier, where one of the worst avalanches took place in February, killing 10 soldiers.
"Medium danger" warning exists for avalanche prone areas situated at an altitude of above 3,000 metres - including Kupwara, Baramulla, Bandipur, Kargil and Gandarbal districts.
Till date, more soldiers have died because of the weather and terrain in the world's highest battlefield, than as a consequence of any India-Pakistan stand-off.
A "medium danger" avalanche warning, starting at 5 pm today, has been issued today for higher areas of Jammu and Kashmir. People have been asked not to venture out in these areas.
The advisory, issued by Chandigarh-based Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment which is under the Ministry of Defence, will remain effective for 24 hours.