4 Armymen, civilian trapped under avalanche near Line of Control

SRINAGAR: Two Army personnel and a porter were killed and another soldier was injured when an avalanche struck a patrol near the Line of Control (LoC) in Kupwara district of north Kashmir today, Army said.

A Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO), a soldier and a civilian porter were killed and another soldier was injured in an avalanche south of Nasthachun pass in the north Kashmir district this morning. Their bodies have been recovered, an army spokesman said.

The spokesman said another soldier escaped unhurt in the incident, while the injured jawan was evacuated to hospital for treatment.

Army's avalanche rescue teams had launched a rescue and search operation after the four army personnel and a civilian porter got trapped under the avalanche triggered from the higher reaches of Shamsabari range around 8 AM, the army said.

High reaches of Kashmir Valley received moderate to heavy snowfall over the past couple of days.