Arunachal Avalanche: Search and Rescue Operation underway for missing Army personnel

New Delhi: Seven personnel of the Indian Army are reportedly missing after an avalanche struck yesterday in the high altitude area of the Kameng sector in Arunachal Pradesh. The Army said today that the search and rescue operation is currently underway in the area that has been witnessing inclement weather with heavy snowfall for the past few days.

The seven personnel were on patrol when the avalanche hit the sparsely populated and forested Kameng sector which is located at heights of over 14000 feet on the western edge of the state. The force said specialised teams have been airlifted to assist in rescue operations. India has intensified patrolling in the Arunachal Pradesh in recent days on the eastern Himalayas which shares borders with China.

The Eastern Command of the Army handles over 1300 kilometers long Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim through its three corps – 33 Corps (Sikkim), 4 Corps (Kameng Sector) and 3 Virod (Rest of Arunachal Pradesh).

The government has also pushed road and tunnel construction in the region.

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