Avalanche kills Indian military officer in Indian-controlled Kashmir

An Indian military officer was killed, while 15 troopers were rescued after a snow avalanche hit their patrol on Siachen Glacier near Line of Control (LoC) in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said Saturday.

The avalanche hit the patrol party on Friday morning burying the troopers.

"Captain Ashwini Kumar sacrificed his life when his patrol came under an avalanche in Siachen Glacier in the early hours yesterday," Lt. Col Manish Mehta Indian military spokesman said in a statement to press. "The mortal remains of the officer have been sent to Patiala (Punjab), his native place."

India's official broadcaster quoting another defence spokesman Colonel S D Goswami saying 15 troopers were saved in rescue operation immediately launched by military in the area.

Siachen Glacier, considered as the highest battlefield in world, is at an altitude of 7,000 meters above sea level in Ladakh province of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

It is located in eastern Karakoram range in the Himalayan mountains on LoC between India and Pakistan.

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

Last month a porter working with Indian military was killed and his son injured after an avalanche hit them near LoC in Tulial of Gurez sector.

Kashmir has a rugged terrain. Landslides and avalanches are often triggered from its mountains during frequent rains and heavy snow the region receives. Endit