The Pakistani military was today to relaunch rescue efforts to find survivors after an avalanche engulfed an army camp high in the mountains of Kashmir, leaving up to 135 people feared dead.
The search on the Siachen Glacier, where Pakistani and Indian troops face off on what is known as the world’s highest battlefield, was called off late Saturday because of darkness and poor weather.
No survivors had been found after an all-day search involving more than 150 soldiers, sniffer dogs, and helicopters of the avalanche site that covered an area of one-square kilometre (a third of a square mile).
The military said in a statement that 135 people were missing from the camp after Saturday’s disaster, including 124 soldiers.
A tailor and two hairdressers were among civilians buried as the avalanche hit the militarised region, which is close to the de facto border with India in the Muslim-majority Kashmir region, over which India and Pakistan have fought two wars.
After 12 hours of searching on Saturday, army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas told AFP that, contrary to local media reports, no bodies or survivors had been found.
Heavy machinery to assist with rescue efforts has been transported to the far-flung and deeply inhospitable area, a security official said. A team of doctors and paramedics were also rushed to the region after the avalanche.
The avalanche struck early on Saturday morning, a military statement said, raising the possibility that the buried soldiers were asleep at the time.
Rescue to resume after deadly avalanche
