Five jawans who were trapped after snow tracks they were travelling on caved in near the Machil sector of Kupwara district in Jammu and Kashmir today have been rescued.
Massive rescue operations were launched immediately to retrieve the personnel. The incident took place at 6am when their snow tracks caved in, news agency ANI reported.
The incident comes just days after two avalanches hit an Army post and a patrolling party along the Line of Control (LoC), killing 21 people including 15 jawans.
Meanwhile, the local authorities have sounded an avalanche warning for higher reaches of the Valley and Ladakh region.
Divisional administration issued the high avalanche warnings for hilly areas in Baramulla, Kupwara, Kulgam, Ganderbal, Shopian, Anantnag, Leh and Kargil districts, advising people living there not to venture out of their homes till the warnings were withdrawn.
District magistrates of the districts were asked to supervise all relief and rescue operations in avalanche-prone areas.
The weather office said that the minimum temperature on Saturday here was 0.8 degrees Celsius. Pahalgam and Gulmarg recorded minus 0.1 and minus 6.6, respectively, while Leh recorded minus 10.1 degrees Celsius. Jammu city was at 8.6, Katra at 7.6, Batote at 4.2, Bannihal at 0.5 and Bhaderwah at minus 0.3 degrees Celsius.
The 40-day long period of harsh winter called the 'Chillai Kalan' that started on December 21 will end on January 30.
