The entire nation and army were praying for a miracle for the safe recovery of soldiers trapped under an avalanche in the Siachen area, Director-General, Military operations (DGMO), Major-General Ashfaq Nadeem said on Saturday.
In a joint press briefing here, the DGMO, who was accompanied by Director-General Inter Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) Major General Athar Abbas, said that as many as 400 soldiers and 60 civilian were making all out efforts for the safe rescue of the trapped soldiers. But it was too early to say about the chances of survival as the battalion headquarters is still under 70 feet of snow. The magnitude of the tragedy was so big that local rescue facilities in the region were not enough while movement of heavy equipment was also very difficult, he added.
To a question, he said that the battalion had been posted at the Gayari Sector for the last 20-22 years. It was considered the safest place from avalanches, which usually occurred in April and May. He said that rescue teams, which were facing difficulties because of harsh weather as temperature dropped below minus 15 Celsius, were not letting up and continuing their efforts.
He said that assistance had also been sought from international organisations and friendly countries, adding that teams from Germany, Norway, Switzerland and China had already reached the area. A US team was also on its way to the sector. Replying to a question, he said that 139 people, including soldiers and civilians, were present in the battalion headquarters at the time of the incident. The avalanche, which occurred between 3am and 5am, descended from a height of 18,000 feet.
He said the pace of work would be accelerated as the weather improved, adding that small avalanches were continuing in the area. The military officers thanked the nation and the media for support. A fresh slide, triggered at the site of old avalanche, had created difficulties for troops conducting the search and rescue operation.
Search teams, it was learnt, had commenced excavation at a new site with the help of plant equipment and infantry troops. The rescue teams had also conducted a first-level explosion to dig into the hard mass of snow against the tunnel being attempted to access a suspected structure at an important excavation site. The digging team was undertaking the tunnelling effort against obstacles such as heavy pileup of snow, extreme cold and cramped up work space.