In distressing news, seven Indian Army personnel who had gone missing in Arunachal Pradesh on February 6, were found dead.
The soldiers were hit by an avalanche in Arunachal's high-altitude Kameng sector. They were part of a patrol team. Their bodies were recovered from the site, news agency ANI quoted the Army as saying.
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Defence minister Rajnath Singh said that he was deeply pained by the demise of the soldiers. He added that the "brave soldiers lost their lives while serving the nation". The minister expressed condolences to the bereaved families.
The Kameng avalanche occurred after days of inclement weather and heavy snowfall, as per reports. Search and rescue operations for the soldiers had been launched as soon as news of them being missing was received.
Winter months in high-altitude border areas can be dangerous for soldiers. In May 2020, an avalanche in Sikkim had reportedly killed 2 soldiers. In 2019, at least six Army soldiers died due to avalanches and snow slides while being deployed at Siachen Glacier.