Two persons, including a senior government official and a tourist from Bengalaru, have been killed and scores of civilians were injured when caught in a massive snow avalanches and landslides near the 17,350-feet-high Chang La (pass) in eastern Ladakh.
The Army soon launched a rescue and relief operation at the site and evacuated as many as 73 civilians to various hospitals and first-aid centres in the region.
The civilians were travelling in twelve vehicles when at about 3.15 pm a massive avalanche came down and soon landslides hit the Leh-Karu-Tangtse axis resulting into an enormous move and accumulation of around eight-feet snow on the road. On receiving information about the civilians and their vehicles having been trapped in the landslide, the Army detachment located at Changla Top rushed ten soldiers with an ambulance to the scene. “On reaching the site, they rescued seven civilians buried under the snow, including district social welfare officer, Leh Muhammad Latief who was critically injured,” defence spokesperson Lt. Col. J. S. Brar said here.