Avalanche hits Army patrol in Ladakh; 1 dead, 3 missing

Srinagar: A powerful avalanche hit an Army patrol party at Mount Kun near the Kargil-Zanskar Highway leaving a soldier dead while three others went missing.

The incident happened on Sunday morning and so far one body has been recovered.

Sources in the Army said that the avalanche hit an Army party when they were in the area on a normal patrol.

Mount Kun Peak is the highest peak in the Zanskar range and an integral part of the Nun-Kun a twin-summit mountain massif separated from each other by a high snowy plateau of 4 km.

“The Army party comprised personnel from High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) and the Army Adventure Wing of the Army who were hit by the avalanche,” sources said. “The body of a soldier was recovered in the initial rescue operation.”

They said that the rescue teams were on the job to rescue the three other missing soldiers.

“Weather in the area is erratic and is hampering the operation,” they said. “All efforts are being put in to locate the missing soldiers.”

Meanwhile, Northern Command of the Indian Army posted on X: “A contingent of approximately 40 Army personnel from the HAWS and the Army Adventure Wing of the Indian Army were involved in routine training activities near Mount Kun in Ladakh. Such exercises are standard practice during this season, aiming to provide realistic mountaineering training for HAWS participants as part of the ‘Train the Trainer’ concept. Unfortunately, during their training ascent on October 8, the group faced an unexpected avalanche. Four of our dedicated personnel were trapped underneath. Immediate rescue operations were initiated and are continuing. ARTRAC@adgpi.”