Amid losing hopes, German, Swiss experts to join rescue operation

Amidst fading hopes, three Swiss and six German experts have arrived Pakistan to assist Pakistani and US experts for the rescue of 135 Pakistan army troops, who were buried under an avalanche in Gayari sector of Siachen, on Saturday.

ISPR (Inter Services Public Relations) issued a press note on late Monday night informing that an expert team comprising three individuals from Switzerland is landing tonight to assist in search of survivals and rescue activities.

It also said that disaster management team comprising six individuals along with necessary equipment from Germany will also join the rescue operation.

On Sunday, the American experts of high altitude had already reached in the country to assist the operation. However, the team could not reach the site of avalanche due to weather condition.

According to the military sources, at least 240 army troops and civilians are working at the site of the disaster at the entrance to the Siachen Glacier with the aid of sniffer dogs and heavy machinery.

Despite bad weather, the rescuers managed to dig through some 25 meters of snow spread over an areas of one kilometer. However, hopes of finding 135 people faded swiftly and new concerns emerged due to fresh snow fall.

The rescuers will have to ensure physical safety of the bodies frozen in the snow as bulldozers and excavators dug through the debris in search of survivors.

It has been over three days since a huge wall of snow crashed into a Pakistan Army camp in the Gayari area near Siachen Glacier, and military officials saw grim prospects of recovering even a single survivor.

Around 124 troops from the 6 Northern Light Infantry (NLI) Battalion and 11 civilians have been buried under 80 feet of snow since Saturday morning.

Thousands of soldiers from India and Pakistan stationed in world’s tallest battleground in Siachen brave viciously cold temperatures, altitude sickness, high winds and isolation for months at a time.

Troops have been posted at elevations of up to 6,700 meters (22,000 feet) and have skirmished intermittently since 1984, though the area has been quiet since a cease-fire in 2003.

Short URL: https://www.newspakistan.pk/?p=18479

Posted by Faisal Farooq on Apr 10 2012. Filed under Latest News, National, Pakistan, Society. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.