Possibility of any avalanche survivors now remote: Army

Jammu, Feb 4: Rescue mission to find the 10 soldiers who were buried in an avalanche in Siachen Glacier of Jammu and Kashmir area were on but the possibility of finding any survivors was now “remote”, an army official said on Thursday. “Operations by specialized teams of the army and the air force have entered the second day today (on Thursday) and specialised equipment was flown in to Leh to further boost the rescue effort,” army’s northern command spokesman Lt.Col. S.D. Goswami told IANS here. Noting the area has temperatures ranging from a minimum of minus 42 degrees to maximum of minus 25 degrees, he said that rescue teams are “braving adverse weather and effects of rarified atmosphere to locate and rescue survivors” from the post, located at an altitude of 19,600 feet, that faced the avalanche early on Wednesday. “However, it is with deepest of regrets that we have to state that chances of finding any survivors are now very remote,” he said. The spokesman said that northern army commander, Lt. Gen. D.S. Hooda has expressed his grief on the tragic incident. “He said it is a tragic event and we salute the soldiers who braved all challenges to guard our frontiers and made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty,” Lt.Col. Goswami added. (IANS)