Hopes to find any survivors of the snow avalanche that hit Khardung La pass in Leh district on Friday faded on Monday as rescuers failed to locate three missing persons. Seven bodies have been retrieved from the snow so far.
A massive snow avalanche swept away two trucks and buried 10 people under the 20 feet of snow in the cold desert of Ladakh on Friday. Five bodies were pulled out on Friday while two others were retrieved on Saturday. There is no trace of the three people who continue to remain missing.
"No more bodies have been retrieved. We will continue our search. Our searches will continue tomorrow also," said Sargun Shukla, Senior Superintendent of Police, Leh.
A massive search and rescue operation has been launched by the Army, police and state disaster response force to locate the missing people.
Deputy Commissioner of Leh Avny Lavasa has constituted an enquiry committee comprising Assistant Labour Commissioner Leh Ghulam Nabi Tak and Tehsildar Gurmet Namgail to conduct a thorough enquiry into the circumstances that led to the death of the labourers in the avalanche. Police have started an inquest proceeding in the matter.
Rescue teams from the Army's Fire & Fury Corps, mustered from the Base Camp and from Shyok Axis of the Siachen Brigade consisting of Avalanche Panther Teams along with avalanche rescue dogs and deep search radars were employed for the search. A command and control centre established at Khardung La top under the aegis of the Fire & Fury Corps has been continuously coordinating the rescue operations round the clock.
Chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC) Leh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal had told DNA that a government-owned company had hired two tippers (trucks) with 10 people to bring snow for conducting a trial landing of their helicopter in Leh.
"Two tippers went to collect the snow. However, they parked the vehicles near the avalanche prone area and started loading snow into the trucks. It shook the ice and triggered an avalanche burying all the 10 labourers who hail from Zanaskar," Namgyal said.
What Led To The Incident
- Chairman of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, Leh, Jamyang Tsering Namgyal had told DNA that a government-owned company had hired two tippers (trucks) with 10 people to bring snow for conducting a trial landing of their helicopter in Leh
- “Two tippers went to collect the snow. However, they parked the vehicles near the avalanche prone area and started loading snow into the trucks. It shook the ice and triggered an avalanche burying all the 10 labourers who hail from Zanaskar,” Namgyal said
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Avalanche in Ladakh")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}