Eight soldiers were feared trapped under snow after an avalanche hit Army positions in the Siachen glacier on Monday, ANI reported, citing unidentified officials.

The avalanche was reported in the Northern Siachen glacier around 3.30 pm, according to The Indian Express. The soldiers were a part of a patrolling party. The team was reportedly on their way to rescue a soldier at a forward post after he fell ill. Rescue operations are going on.

“They have been trapped at a height of between 18,000 and 19,000 feet above sea level after they were hit by a snow avalanche,” an unidentified senior Army official told IANS

More details are awaited.

The Siachen Glacier is at an altitude of 5,400 metres above sea level. It is part of the eastern Karakoram Range in the Himalayas where the Line of Control between India and Pakistan ends.

The Indian Army has deployed a brigade in the area, where some posts are located above 6,400 metres. At such an altitude, breathing normally is difficult and the places are prone to avalanches.

The Army has been controlling the Siachen glacier since April 13, 1984, when Operation Meghdoot was launched to capture the glacier by defeating Pakistan.

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