Trooper killed, another missing in avalanche in Indian-controlled Kashmir

An Indian military trooper was killed and another went missing Friday after being hit by an avalanche on Siachen Glacier near Line of Control (LoC) in Indian-controlled Kashmir, officials said.

The avalanche hit the military patrol on glacier's Turtuk sector in the morning burying two troopers. Though a trooper was rescued alive in injured condition from the snow but he succumbed at nearest medical facility.

"A trooper who was earlier rescued from an avalanche (in Turtuk sector) that hit an army patrol today morning has succumbed to his injuries at the nearest medical facility and could not be revived by the medical team," a military spokesman Col. N N Joshi said.

Meanwhile, officials said they have pressed in rescue efforts in the area to trace the another missing trooper.

"Massive efforts are currently on to rescue the other trooper despite inclement weather in the area," Joshi said.

The region is experiencing bad weather conditions for the past two days. While rainfall is going on in the plains, the upper reaches have experienced a fresh snowfall.

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

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.

The Glacier's treacherous sub zero climate cost billions of U.S. dollars in military expenditures for India and have counted for scores of lives, more due to frostbite and high altitude sickness than combat action.

Pakistan army too controls part of the glacier.

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 10 Indian troopers were buried under an avalanche on Siachen. It took several days for the Indian military to retrieve their bodies. Endit