Indian Army Soldier Missing After Patrol Hit By An Avalanche In Turtuk Area

Srinagar, 25 March 2016

At about 0800 hours on 25 March 2016, an army patrol in Turtuk area of Ladakh was hit by an avalanche in which two soldiers were buried under the snow. Immediate rescue drills resulted in one soldier being rescued while the second soldier is still missing.

The rescued soldier is critical and is being evacuated to the nearest military hospital. All efforts are being made to rescue the missing soldier.

Earlier, in another avalanche in Kargil on 17 March, sepoy Vijay Kumar was killed while another soldier was rescued by Indian Army. 

Before the Kargil incident, ten Indian Army soldiers martyred after an avalanche hit the Indian Army's Sonam post in early hours of 3 February this year. Lance Naik Hanmanthappa Koppad was rescued alive under 20 feet of snow after 6 days but unfortunately, he could not survive and succumbed during treatment in Army R&R Hospital in Delhi.