Two soldier including Lieutenant Colonel dead in avalanche at Lugnak La in Sikkim
In a major incident, two soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, died in an avalanche near Sikkim’s Lugnak La, an army official said. As per the report, a patrol-cum-snow clearance team of 17 soldiers was trapped under the snow following the avalanche.
As many as 15 Indian Army personnel were rescued while two of them were trapped under the snow and were missing. They have been identified as Lt Col Robert TA and Sapper/OPEM Sapala Shanmukha Rao.
An army spokesman said that "A patrolling-cum-snow clearance party came under an avalanche in North Sikkim on May 14. In spite of the best efforts of the rescue team and local formation an officer Lieutenant Colonel Robert TA and Sapper Sapala Shanmukha Rao who were trapped under the ice died. Meanwhile, all other members of the team are safe."
Lugnak La is a 16,700-foot-high Himalayan pass. North Sikkim was the site of a confrontation between the Indian and Chinese troops on May 9. The face-off took place at Naku La in which four Indians and seven Chinese soldiers were injured. In the confrontation, around 150 soldiers were involved.
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Meanwhile, the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) has made operational weather and avalanche forecasting for critical sites in Sikkim. SASE has been experiencing climatic changes and deviation in the snow precipitation.
-PTC News
