Kargil avalanche: Body of missing soldier recovered under 12-feet snow

Udhampur: The body of soldier, who went missing on Friday after an avalanche hit an army post in Kargil district of Jammu and Kashmir, was found buried under 12-feet snow. [caption id=“attachment_2685906” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational image. Reuters[/caption] “On the third day of a gruelling search operation, Army rescue teams  managed to recover the mortal remains of Sepoy Vijay Kumar K from under 12-feet snow,” a defence spokesman said. “Vijay, who belongs to Vallaramapuram village of Thirunelvelli District of Tamil Nadu, is survived by his parents and two younger sisters. “Army is in the process of evacuating his mortal remains from the area after which it will be moved to his native place where the cremation ceremony will take place with full military honours,” the spokesman said. 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 17 March, an army officer said on Saturday. Two soldiers, who were on surveillance duty, were swept away in the avalanche, officer said. Immediate rescue operations were launched and one soldier – Sepoy Sujit – was rescued, he said, adding he is medically stable and recovering. Lt Gen D S Hooda, Army Commander Northern Command, has expressed his deep condolence to the family of Vijay Kumar K, the spokesman said. This incident comes weeks after a deadly avalanche on Siachen Glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir, close to the Line of Control or LoC, killed 10 Army personnel including an officer. Agencies