Siachen avalanche tragedy: Names of deceased soldiers released

NEW DELHI: The rescue operations for the ten army men ‘presumed dead’ continue into the 3rd day, with condolences pouring in from around the country for their valour and bravery.

Along with this the army has also released the names of the ten personnel buried under snow. Following the Prime Minister’s condolence message, the Chief of the Army Staff General Dalbir Singh has also expressed grief at the loss of life of brave hearts in the Siachen Avalanche incident and has extended condolences to the families, an official told ET.

The Avalanche that came down on the post at 19600 feet was a ‘slab avalanche’, an officer familiar with the rescue drills told ET, “It is the toughest to rescue people out if this type of avalanche as the ice slab is heavy, unlike snow or wet avalanches, and digging people out or using rescue dogs becomes difficult”.

Additional teams of trained rescuers have been pressed into service. “Through wall radars and other electronic equipment was also flown in to try and pin point the exact location of the missing soldiers,” an official told ET. He also added that the extreme cold, with temperatures dropping to -45 degrees, and inclement weather is a major hindrance for rescue teams.