Three Army personnel were killed on Tuesday after a massive avalanche hit the Siachen base camp in Ladakh. Rescue operations are underway in the region, which is often called the “world’s highest battleground.”
The Siachen Glacier, located at the northern tip of the Line of Control at about 20,000 feet, is highly prone to avalanches. Temperatures there often drop as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius, making survival extremely difficult.
This is not the first time tragedy has struck the area. In 2021, two soldiers lost their lives in Siachen when an avalanche hit sub-sector Haneef. Several other soldiers and porters were rescued after a six-hour rescue effort.
Earlier in 2019, another avalanche killed four soldiers and two porters. The group was on patrol near a post at 18,000 feet when they were buried under snow.
The deadliest incident in recent years was reported in 2022, when seven soldiers died in Arunachal Pradesh’s Kameng sector after being caught in a powerful avalanche. The snow was so intense that the soldiers’ bodies were found only three days later.
Avalanches remain one of the biggest risks for soldiers stationed in Siachen, where extreme weather and treacherous terrain add to the challenges of protecting the country’s borders.
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