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Army jawan dead, 5 trapped after avalanche near India-China border in Himachal

One Army jawan died and five others are trapped under the snow after an avalanche hit the Shipka La sector of Himachal Pradesh’s Kinnaur district.

Army sources said the avalanche hit the patrol party on Wednesday when it was moving between two posts along the India-China border. The soldiers were part of a 16-member patrol party of the 136 Brigade.

A jawan succumbed to his injuries while he was being taken to a hospital. Kinnaur Deputy Commissioner Gopal Chand told news agency PTI that the avalanche occurred at around 11 am.

A spokesperson of the Army said search and rescue operations are underway. A team of about 150 persons, including Army personnel, is searching for the trapped jawans, along with the police.

The avalanche was triggered by fierce snow blizzards in the area. Shipki La is at a height of around 12,000 feet and is located around 300km from state capital Shimla.

First Published:
Feb 20, 2019 19:05 IST

Source: HindustanTimes