Eight soldiers trapped after avalanche hits Siachen

Eight soldiers of the Indian Army were trapped in the Siachen Glacier in Ladakh area after being hit by avalanche on Monday.

The incident took place at around 3 p.m. The Army has launched a massive search and rescue operation to locate and bring back the trapped soldiers.

"The soldiers were part of a patrol. 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. Operations have been launched and are underway to search and rescue them," a senior Army official told IANS.

The soldiers have been trapped at Northern Siachen Glacier, said sources.

The Siachen is the world's highest battlefield. On a visit to Ladakh last month, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had announced the reopening of the glacier to tourists.