7 Army men hit by avalanche in Arunachal Pradesh dead

New Delhi, February 8

All seven Army personnel missing after an avalanche in Arunachal Pradesh were found buried under the snow.

Previous incidents

• Feb 2016: Avalanche hits soldiers in Siachen, killing 10
• Jan 2017: Multiple avalanches in Gurez sector of Kashmir kill 20 soldiers
• Nov 2019: Six persons, including two porters, killed in an avalanche in Siachen

Members of a patrol team, they were struck by the avalanche in a high-altitude area of Kameng sector on February 6. Their bodies have been recovered from the site. Despite the best efforts of everyone involved, all seven have been found dead, the Army authorities said.

The bodies were being shifted from the avalanche site, some 14,500-ft high, to the nearest Army medical facility for further formalities, including the identification of the deceased before their names are released. Sources said one of the victims was a Havildar and the remaining were jawans. Expressing grief, President Ram Nath Kovind said the tragedy was beyond words.