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Avalanche kills troops in Kashmir | Avalanche kills troops in Kashmir |
(40 minutes later) | |
At least 17 Indian soldiers have been killed after an avalanche hit a military training camp in Indian-administered Kashmir, the army says. | |
Dozens of troops were rescued after the avalanche struck near Gulmarg, the region's main ski resort, about 50km (30 miles) west of Srinagar. | Dozens of troops were rescued after the avalanche struck near Gulmarg, the region's main ski resort, about 50km (30 miles) west of Srinagar. |
The army said 17 soldiers were injured. Rescue teams have returned to base. | The army said 17 soldiers were injured. Rescue teams have returned to base. |
Avalanches are common in Kashmir, but this is one of the deadliest to occur in the region in recent years. | |
About 400 troops were stationed at the high-altitude camp, part of which is said to have been engulfed in snow. | About 400 troops were stationed at the high-altitude camp, part of which is said to have been engulfed in snow. |
Tourists were unaffected by the avalanche because it happened at a higher altitude than the nearby ski resort, officials said. | |
'High winds' | 'High winds' |
The soldiers were on a training exercise at the Indian army's high altitude warfare school, nearly 3,000m (more than 9,000ft) above sea level in the Khelenmarg mountains. | |
"We have 17 dead and 17 injured. No-one is missing and rescue teams have returned to their bases," army spokesman Col Vineet Sood told the AFP news agency. | |
An army statement said all soldiers were out of danger. | |
Heavy snow, fog and high winds had hampered rescue efforts which went on for hours. | |
Casualty numbers rose steadily after reports of the disaster first emerged on Monday. Among the dead is at least one officer. | Casualty numbers rose steadily after reports of the disaster first emerged on Monday. Among the dead is at least one officer. |
"It's been snowing here for the last four days," another army spokesman, Col Jagmohan Brar, told the BBC. | "It's been snowing here for the last four days," another army spokesman, Col Jagmohan Brar, told the BBC. |
"We had about 70 people buried in the avalanche." | "We had about 70 people buried in the avalanche." |
The avalanche struck close to the Line of Control, the disputed de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. | The avalanche struck close to the Line of Control, the disputed de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan. |
Ski respite for war weary Kashmiris Troops in fatal Kashmir avalanche | |
Avalanches and landslides occur frequently in Kashmir, often blocking roads and cutting off resorts like Gulmarg. | |
Last June seven Indian soldiers were killed in an avalanche in Kupwara district. Another 12 people were killed a month earlier on the Pakistani side of the heavily-militarised dividing line. | |
In 2005, an avalanche near villages in the Neelum valley on the Pakistani side killed more than 40 people. | |
India and Pakistan have fought two wars over the Himalayan region of Kashmir, which both claim in its entirety. | |
The two sides have tens of thousands of troops stationed in the region, where a ceasefire has been in place since 2003. |