Reports from the other side of the Line of Control revealed that the avalanche struck an Indian Army forward post at Siachen’s Turtuk sub-sector at 6:15am on Sunday, burying seven soldiers alive.
“Rescue operations were launched immediately and so far six bodies have been recovered,” Indian Army spokesperson Lt Col JS Brar told AFP, adding that the rescuers were still searching for the seventh soldier.
Earlier, on April 7, a massive avalanche in Siachen’s Gyari sector killed 129 Pakistani soldiers and 11 civilian contractors.
An estimated 8,000 troops have died at what is dubbed “The world’s highest battleground” since 1984, almost all of them from avalanches, landslides, frostbite, altitude sickness or heart failure rather than combat. Thousands more from both nations endure bitter conditions on the glacier due to the long-running territorial dispute.
(WITH ADDITIONAL INPUT FROM AFP)
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012.
COMMENTS (45)
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@Queen: "Is it very difficult for us to set aside our criticism for a moment in order to at least express grief over the loss of human life?"
One of the few times I can agree with you. What I said now and what I had said when I had read about Gyari is the same thing. Rest in peace. These soldiers have done their duty for their country and desrve only respect - whichever country they belong to.
@Sexton Blake: Today 6 polio workers were killed in Karachi and Peshawar. SO would you suggest that polio administration should stop? /No. Those people were doing their duty and hopefully Pakistanis are grateful to these people who were working on a national cause. Same thing with regards to these 6 soldiers.
@G. Din: Dear G. Din, I think you deliberately avoided the entire point of what I said. However, putting it a different way, over 30 per cent of Indians are below the poverty line. Another 30 per cent are just getting by, and nobody would wish to swap places with them. To put it into context, the number of Indian people below the poverty line is more than double Pakistan's population and just about equal to America's population. To me the squabbles between India and Pakistan are so childish as to be almost unbelievable. If there was any rationality in the brains of Indian/Pakistan politicians their problems would have been solved about 60 years ago, and the indecent amounts of money spent on so called defence could be used to raise up the Indian/Pakistan quality of life. If you think I am only being critical of India/Pakistan I would point out that they are little different from the rest of the world, and the US is a classic case of low functioning, spending almost 50 per cent of GDP on its military machine. The only heroic result of military spending is that it helps to mop up some of the unemployment, but there are many more efficient ways of doing so. I think we can assume that India/Pakistan will get over their hangups one day, but they are certainly making hard work of it.
G.Din "That is where you left those boys dead on the battlefield refusing to own them, much less to bury them until our boys did the needful! Shame, utter shame!"
All is fair in love and war.
@Sexton Blake: " I will make an even money bet that you are not there and your life is not at risk. " Don't bet. Yes, I am not there. It would be foolish of anyone to take you up on that just as you are being foolish for a funny notion that whole populations must run into wars. Everyone participates in a manner or capacity to contribute to the success of an effort. Were you in Kargil when Mushy commando risked life of Northern Infantry boys there? I don't recall any great noises coming out of you then, one way or another! You do recall Kargil. That is where you left those boys dead on the battlefield refusing to own them, much less to bury them until our boys did the needful! Shame, utter shame!
@gp65: This Nitish thing is not an Indian. No Indian will make a statement like that. Don't feed the troll.
@Khan: Sir, hope to meet you some day when things get a little better. Be well...
@G. Din: US getting out of Afghanistan in 2014 Dear G. Din, You appear to belong to the rather large, but low functioning group of people who believe the statements that emanate from Washington. You may recall the US said that Iraq had nuclear weapons, and used it as an excuse to bomb Iraq into the stone age, and murdered a few million innocent people. It is my understanding that the US has not yet found any nuclear weapons to this stage. Also, it is my understanding that on a flimsy excuse the US invaded Afghanistan nearly 12 years ago and a few hill-billies with little modern military equipment have outfought them every step of the way. I understand that the US may want to get out of the longest war they have ever fought, but can they be believed in regard to a 2014 exit? I think not. In regard to Siachen, stay there if your pride demands it, but I will make an even money bet that you are not there and your life is not at risk. I have found that people can push the heroic stance when they are not involved.
@Nitish: "@Indian Wisdom: This man Indian Wisdom seems to be a muslim…Thats why muslims have no representation in armed forces….They can ditch and betray us at any given opportunity"…
First of all Indian is Indian - Muslim or not is irrelevant. Secondly, no Muslims in armed forces? Where did you come up wioth that? Have you heard of Air Chief Marshal Idris Latif who headed the airforce? If the intention was to keep Indian Muslims away from defense related matters, the nuclear program in India in 1998 would not have been headed by one - you may know him : our former President A PJ Kalam.
Do not question the patriotism of Indians based on their religion.……
@Sexton Blake: "Dear gp65, You have received a lot of “likes”, but at the end of the day are you and your brave “likes” low functioning enough to volunteer for service in the Siachen Glacier area? I think not!"
The reference to ow many 'Like's I got is really irrelevant. That does not drive what I say.
Onto the core point you were making. Indian army is a volunteer army ot a conscription army. SO soldiers know what they are signing up for. We respect and honour these people's sacrifice but vacating Siachen without both parties signing AGPL is simply an invitation to one more Kargill with far more casualties, so that is not an option. Their job is to protect the borders and that is exactly what they are doing.
As for whether I would want to do such a job,, how is that relevant? I would not like to be a Doctor or lawyer either. Does that mean the country does not need Doctors or lawyers?
@Awais : Both countries cannot vacate Siachen since only India is in Siachen. Pakistani soldiers are posted in the Giyari sector. In earlier more trusting times, India did not have soldiers onthe LOC
@Sexton Blake: to dear Jat " And oh, refusing to withdraw from Siachen is nearly as dumb as the US refusing to get out of Afghanistan, but then nobody is as dumb as the idiots in Washington." US refusing to get out of Afghanistan? You must be living in some alternate reality. My friend, US has proclaimed to the world that it is getting out in 2014. Maybe the pigeon didn't yet reach your corner of the world! Dumb or not, India shall never get off Siachen until Pakistan signs the APG on the dotted line, no ifs or buts! (APG -Actual Position on Ground, of Indian Army)
@Indian Wisdom: This man Indian Wisdom seems to be a muslim...Thats why muslims have no representation in armed forces....They can ditch and betray us at any given opportunity.........
@Indian Wisdom: to Awais "May be we can have a joint Indo-Pak team for the beautiful place!!!" You are using this page to express your innermost wish? Quite pathetic, sense of propriety and occasion really and definitely not wise at all after the Pakistani glee at the death of Indians. But, go ahead, you are welcome to go to Pakistan for the love-fest! I doubt you will find any more takers on this side!
@Jat: Dear Jat, Even in the days of the Raj there was no difficulty in recruiting Indian personnel who would control supposedly incalcitrant Indians on behalf of the British, and that is because any job is better than no job. Nothing has changed. In regard to potential officers, they are somewhat better educated than non-commissioned personnel, and have a greater choice of jobs. And oh, refusing to withdraw from Siachen is nearly as dumb as the US refusing to get out of Afghanistan, but then nobody is as dumb as the idiots in Washington.
@Saeed: Sir, you misunderstood my post, perhaps deliberately. The recruitment centers are used to recruit soldiers, and not officers. The process of inducting officers in the armed forces is different. And I will repeat, the recruitment centers are overwhelmed during each and every recruitment drive.
Anyway let us worry about our problems, and you take care of yours. And oh, we are not going to withdraw from Siachen.
@Jat: Dear Jat Sahib, Indian army is 30,000 officers short, according to Indian army sources, may be after the stampede you have seen, would fill the shortage. Good luck
@gp65: Dear gp65, You have received a lot of "likes", but at the end of the day are you and your brave "likes" low functioning enough to volunteer for service in the Siachen Glacier area? I think not!
@Awais: I second your thought. May be we can have a joint Indo-Pak team for the beautiful place!!!
@kotli (azad kashmir):
I am a Pakistani too but would say - Pathetic response. Have some shame,ethics and humanity before rejoicing on anyone's death this way.I would also like to apologize to Indian readers for the offensive post and also due to the mods who let such things go.
@ Tony Singh
Hope next time you will show some respect soldiers who just obey orders of their superiors irrespective of the country they belong to
Lol....funny.
RIP my dear Indian Solidiers. May God shower his blessings on your families. We (1.3 Billion Indians) are firmly behind our solidiers.
@kotli (azad kashmir): You are a ghulam (slave) of your ignorance.
@Ch. Allah Daad: Chaudhary saab Indian Army is not vacating that area come what may. While the deaths of soldiers in peacetime are heartbreaking, but we have our borders to protect.
We have learned our lessons the hard way. No More. Just for the general knowledge of the celebrating Pakistanis, we have near stampedes at our recruitment centers of the Indian Army.
I dream of Hiking/Climbing/trekking in Siachen when our politicians are done there!
@Oops: "This is the outcome of comments from the likes of you on the day the Pakistani soldiers died. No its not it. What I said was far too polite" If this is being polite, then I do not know how to define rudeness. Seems just pinched you where it hurt most. Hope next time you will show some respect soldiers who just obey orders of their superiors irrespective of the country they belong to.
@ Tony Singh "As it served 100 odd Pakistanis who died in avalanche a while ago? Is that it?"
This is the outcome of comments from the likes of you on the day the Pakistani soldiers died. No its not it. What I said was far too polite
Sovereignty, freedom do not come cheap! Such sacrifices renew and strengthen a nation. When any nation shirks from such sacrifices, it doesn't deserve to call itself free!
India need to develop more infrastructure there to combat further mishaps.More Road works and airforce substations should be installed to make survival much easier .Meanwhile this fraud cong. govt is busy in corruption.No economic development,no expanses on military establishment,health sector,education sector etc etc.Big big scam ,that is what it has achieved in the span of its reign.......
It is really disturbing to see some Pakistanis celebrating this news. They forget recent tragedi happened on 30 Nov in which 8 Pakistani soldiers died (POK )and I do not want to recall Gyari tragedi (139 Pak soldiers died). These shameful comments are not going to save you.
@Oops: "Serves them right" As it served 100 odd Pakistanis who died in avalanche a while ago? Is that it?
@kotli (azad kashmir): wait.
We will always be indebted of your sacrifices.
Serves them right
Let them be there and rot till day of judgemenr.. we are in no hurry to see them packing to home.
@OG: One can't expect any sensible feedback from the Indian trolls on ET.
We can only hope that both sides make an honest effort to settle this expensive standoff for good.
@ kotli (azad kashmir)...."good"..............tell me only this..if I had used to same word for the 100 odd pakistani jawans who were killed by an avalanche on the glacier no to long ago...how would you have reacted? I am becoming sure about one thing.......that people like you are simply "beyond repair" and that's why you deserve a minister like rehman malik who is a reflection of what's wrong with Pakistan....
shall we call it a day now my indian friends and move our forces off this beautiful yet very dangerous piece of land. peace at last?
Happens...Another 6000 ready to replace them.
RIP. Your sacrifice is not in vain. Indians wil not allow MMS to gift away Siachen to Pakistan. Ofcourse an honourable setlement is in both country's advantage but that involves both sides signing the AGPL. We cannot allow another Kargill.
Hw many and how long will the foot-soldiers on both sides pay the price of their generals and politicians stubbornness?
How many soldiers actually die of bullets?