Five labourers killed in Khardung La avalanche

Arteev Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu/Leh, January 18

At least five labourers were killed and five others were reported missing after they were hit by an avalanche in Khardung La area of Ladakh region in Jammu and Kashmir this morning.

The incident took place at 7 am when the men, engaged by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), were loading snow onto two tippers. They belonged to Zanskar in Kargil. The pass had received fresh snowfall on Thursday.

“The rescue operations were stopped in the evening due to bad weather conditions and will resume tomorrow morning. Five bodies were retrieved during the day-long joint operation by the Border Roads Organisation, district administration, police and the Army,” said Jamyang Tsering Namgyal, chief executive councillor (CEC), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council.

“HAL had sent the labourers to collect snow for trial-landing of a specialised helicopter brought to Leh. The labourers had left Leh town around 6 am,” Namgyal said, adding the avalanche was triggered during excavation work, burying them under 20 feet of snow.

Khardung La, located 38 km north of Leh, is strategically important as it is on the road to Siachen Glacier.

A senior official called it a “man-made disaster”, saying “the avalanche occurred when the labourers were cutting snow, notwithstanding an alert following an adverse weather advisory”.

Governor Satya Pal Malik announced Rs 5 lakh ex gratia for each of the next of kin.

Army using Deep Search Radars

• Army’s Fire and Fury Corps sent in teams for rescue op
• Army copters pressed into service from Siachen Base Camp
• Deep Search Radars brought in to detect humans under snow