Ladakh: In a tragic incident two Indian Army soldiers died when an avalanche hit an army patrol at a height of 18,000 feet at Siachen Glacier in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
The Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) and army helicopters were pressed into service. The ART could rescue the other members of the army patrol.
This is the second avalanche at Siachen in the past two weeks. On 18 November, four Indian soldiers and two porters were killed in an avalanche in the northern part of the glacier.
Located at a height of 20,000 feet the Siachen Glacier is the highest military battle ground in the world where the soldiers of India and Pakistan stand guard. The temperature in the region often drops to a whopping 60 degree Celsius below zero.
Avalanches and landslides are common in this region and many Indian soldiers have sacrificed their lives while guarding the highest battle ground against enemy forces.
Many soldiers also face grave injuries when frost bites occur which leave them scarred for life.