The bodies of four more soldiers, who were missing since avalanches struck Army camps in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gurez sector, were found on Friday, taking the toll to 20. Officials said inclement weather and heavy snowfall had hindered the task, ANI reported. Another avalanche in Banihal disrupted the work of the Border Roads Organisation that is clearing the blockades and restoring traffic.
Several army personnel were trapped after Gurez sector was hit by two avalanches on Wednesday evening. Seven personnel were rescued alive on Thursday and bodies of 10 soldiers were recovered. Authorities had issued an avalanche alert in Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla and many other regions of the Kashmir Valley on Thursday. Districts in Himachal Pradesh, too, face the threat of bad weather. These include Kullu, Lahaul and Spiti as well as Kangra and Kinnaur.
Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar has expressed his condolences with the families of the victims. “Heartfelt condolences to the families of our Army men who have lost their lives in avalanches in the last two days,” Parrikar said on Twitter on Thursday.
The avalanches had struck an Army camp site in the Gurez Valley on Wednesday.
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