New Delhi: Condoling the loss of lives in the Siachen avalanche, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday described the demise of soldiers due to the calamity as ‘tragic’.
“Demise of soldiers in Siachen is very tragic. I salute the brave soldiers who gave their lives to the nation. Condolences to their families,” Prime Minister Modi tweeted.
Amid massive operation undertaken by the armed forces to rescue soldiers trapped under snow due to yesterday’s avalanche near Siachen Glacier in Ladakh, the Defence Ministry today said that chances of finding any survivors are rare.
Specialized teams of the Army and the Air Force have been deployed to carry out the search and rescue operations in the area, where temperatures range from minus 42 degrees in the night to minus 25 degrees during the day.
The avalanche struck an Indian Army post in the Northern Siachen Glacier at a height of 19,600 feet.
The army post that faced its brunt was manned by one junior commissioned officer (JCO) and nine soldiers. All ten soldiers have gone missing after the avalanche.
—ANI