Soldier missing, 16 rescued after Sikkim avalanche
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, May 14
As many as 16 Indian Army personnel were rescued while a soldier was missing following an avalanche in the Lugnak La region of north Sikkim today.
As per initial reports, a patrol-cum-snow clearance team of 17 soldiers was trapped under the snow this morning.
“All soldiers have been rescued except one. A search operation is in progress. An Army team has also been put on task,” military officials said. One soldier has been admitted to hospital with injuries.
The Lugnak La is 16,700-foot-high Himalayan pass. In the past one week, this is the third incident in north Sikkim, a high plateau abutting China. Apart from a clash between Indian and Chinese troops recently, six occupants had survived a ‘hard-landing’ by a Dhruv helicopter.
Meanwhile, the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has made operational weather and avalanche forecasting for critical sites in Sikkim, which has been experiencing climatic changes and deviation in snow precipitation.
