Defence expert on Siachen: 'Tough to ensure no deaths happen due to bad weather'

After the death of two Indian Army jawans at the Southern Siachen Glacier on Saturday, November 30. According to a defence spokesperson, the two army men died after an avalanche hit their patrol at an altitude of about 18,000 feet in southern Siachen glacier in the Union Territory of Ladakh.

Reacting to the death of the jawans at Siachen, defence expert Anil Gaur stated that the army is trying to provide life-saving pieces of equipment to the Jawans but it is very difficult to ensure that no deaths happen due to bad weather conditions.  Explaining how it is a major throwback, Anil Gaur said: 

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"Siachen is a very dangerous area and our biggest enemy is not Pakistan there but the weather -Biggest casualty is due to weather only but we are trying to overcome but this is very difficult."

READ | Army patrol operating at Southern Siachen Glacier hit by avalanche, two personnel martyred

'Avalanche Rescue Team managed to locate all the members of the patrol'

An Army patrol operating at an altitude of approximately 18,000 feet in Southern Siachen Glacier was hit by an avalanche during the early hours of Saturday, Srinagar-based Defence spokesperson Col Rajesh Kalia said in his statement. According to him an Avalanche Rescue Team (ART) following the patrol immediately rushed and managed to locate and pull out all members of the patrol. Army helicopters too were simultaneously pressed into service to evacuate the avalanche victims, he said.

 Indian Army's Northern Command took to their official Twitter handle and paid tributes to the two Bravehearts who lost their life in Siachen. 

Despite the best efforts by the medical teams, two Army personnel, however, couldn't survive in the avalanche, the officer said. It was for the second time that an avalanche occurred in Siachen in the past two weeks.

On November 18, four Indian Army personnel and two civilian porters were killed in an avalanche in the northern part of the Siachen Glacier. The Siachen Glacier at the height of around 20,000 ft in the Karakoram range is known as the highest militarized zone in the world where the soldiers have to battle frostbite and high winds. Avalanches and landslides are common at the glacier during winters with temperatures often dropping to as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius. 

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