Damage to Loc Due to Avalanche in Kashmir
An avalanche struck the Army camp at Sonamarg and Dawar in the Kashmir valley on the 22 February 2012 at 1645 hours and 2215 hours respectively. One Officer, One Junior Commissioned Officer (JCO) and Six Other Ranks (OR) were buried at Sonamarg besides causing massive destruction including disruption of the communication network. At Dawar Garrison in the Gurez Sector, four JCOs and 25 OR were trapped. Launch of immediate rescue operations resulted in one officer and 4 OR being saved in Sonamarg and 13 personnel were saved in Dawar. Detailed SOPs concerning avalanches exist in all formations. The Army has trained troops besides specialized equipment to minimize the casualty threat due to avalanches/bad weather.
This information was given by Minister of Defence Shri AK Antony in a written reply to Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar in Rajya Sabha today.
PK/NN