Three soldiers die in avalanche in Valley

SRINAGAR: Three army personnel died after an avalanche hit a patrol party in north Kashmir’s Machil Kupwara sector near the Line of Control on Friday.

The area had witnessed heavy snowfall recently.

“A snow slide struck a patrol party in the Machil sector. Search and rescue operations were undertaken,” a defence spokesperson said. “Two soldiers stuck in the snow were rescued and evacuated to the Military Hospital in Kupwara. Another soldier who was part of the patrol developed hypothermia and was hospitalised,” the defence spokesman said.