Avalanche hits Kargil, jawan missing

A soldier went missing when an avalanche hit an army post in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir. The avalanche, triggered by a mild earthquake, hit an army post located at an altitude of 17,500 feet in Kargil sector at about 2245 hours on March 17, an army officer said today.

Two soldiers, who were on surveillance duty, were swept away in the avalanche, officer said. Immediate rescue operations were launched and one soldier was rescued, he said, adding, the second soldier is still missing.

The rescued soldier is medically stable and recovering. Operations to rescue the missing soldier are underway in spite of the adverse weather conditions, he said.