10 civilians feared dead in Khardung La avalanche

Srinagar: Ten persons are feared dead after a snow avalanche buried the two trucks they were travelling in at Khardung La of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday, officials said.

Bodies of five of the deceased have been recovered so far, while efforts are on to find the remaining five persons, whose chances of survival are bleak, a police official said.

A defence spokesman here said that victims were travelling in two civilian trucks when these came under a massive snow avalanche of approximately 200-foot deep at a place about 800 metres from the Khardung La top towards South Pullu.

“Out of the 10 civilians reported to be buried under the avalanche, five bodies have, so far, been recovered. Also mangled pieces of one of the tippers was found on the steep slopes below the road,” said the spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia. The police sources said that five bodies had been recovered till Friday evening.

The defence spokesman said that though the rescue operations were still in progress as reports last came in, it would take some more time before the rescuers could reach the other persons trapped under tons of snow “as the run out zone of the avalanche is approximately 1,100 metres down the steep hill.”

The official source said that apart from the J&K police and the Army, the Border Roads Organisation and Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Force are engaged in the rescue operation.

The defence spokesman said that the incident was reported to the Army detachment at Khadung La Top by two civilian drivers at about 7.45 am. “Immediately after receiving information about the mishap all resources of the Fire & Fury Corps were activated.  Army teams deployed near the incident site swiftly moved and commenced the search and rescue operations,” he said, adding that the troops deployed at South Pullu and North Pullu were also moved to the incident site.

Simultaneously, the Army Aviation helicopters were pressed into action to move the highly trained avalanche rescue teams of the Army called “Avalanche Panthers Teams” from Siachen base camp and North Pullu. These teams are equipped with specialised avalanche rescue and medical equipment and avalanche rescue dogs, which are being utilised in the search and rescue operations, the Army said.

The Army Aviation helicopters were used also to move the deep search radars which can detect human beings through snow.  “Medical teams along with doctors and nursing assistants, heating blankets, medical equipment and warm clothing were moved to the avalanche site from the Army Hospital at Hunder, it said.

According to the Army, Lt. Gen. YK Joshi, the GOC of Fire & Fury Corps personally carried out an aerial assessment of the incident and issued necessary directions for the smooth conduct of the rescue operations.

J&K Governor Satya Pal Malik while expressing grief over loss of lives in the incident has announced an ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh for the next of the kin of those killed.