Srinagar: Two civilians were killed in an
avalanche-cum-landslide which occurred near the 17350 ft Chang
La top on Leh-Karu-Tangtse axis in Ladakh region of Jammu and
Kashmir even as the Indian Army rescued 73 of them, a defence
spokesman said today.
Two persons including Leh's social welfare officer
Mohammed Latif and a tourist named A Balakrishnan were killed
in the avalanche-cum-landslide which occurred around 3.15 PM
yesterday at a location two kms short of Chang La top but 73
of them were rescued, he said.
While Latif, who was critically injured, succumbed to
injuries en route to Tangtse, Balakrishnan's body was found
buried under snow this morning, he said.
"75 civilians were trapped in the avalanche-cum-landslide
which resulted in an enormous move and accumulation of 7 to 8
feet of snow on the road, he said.
Reinforcements were immediately rushed from Karu and
Tangtse under Lt Col S S Madra and Maj S S Gill of 3 Infantry
Division with two teams consisting of one doctor and 15 army
jawans each, he said.
These teams rescued all stranded civilians provided
them first aid before moving them to a safer zone, he said.
Subsequently they were all taken to army detachments at
Changla Top and Zingral to provide further medical care,
shelter and refreshments to enable them to overcome the shock,
he said.
As the search for Balakrishnan was going on, his wife
was transferred to 303 Field Hospital in the night for trauma
care and assurance to cope with crisis under expert army
doctors, the spokesman said.
PTI
First Published: Wednesday, May 19, 2010, 20:01