Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has condoled the death of four Indian Army officers and two porters who were killed in an avalanche on the Siachen Glacier on Monday.
"Deeply pained by the demise of soldiers and porters due to avalanche in Siachen. I salute their courage and service to the nation. My heartfelt condolences to their families," Rajnath Singh wrote on Twitter.
The defence minister was apprised of the situation by Chief of Army Staff (CoAS) General Bipin Rawat. "Defence Minister Rajnath Singh spoke to the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat regarding the tragedy in Siachen. CoAS has apprised RM of the ground situation in Siachen," the office of the Defence Ministry tweeted.
The incident, in which eight other people were trapped, occurred at an altitude of 19,000 feet on the glacier. "The cause of death is extreme hypothermia," a defence spokesman said, adding that two of the eight people were rescued.
Highest militarized zone
The Siachen Glacier in the Karakorum range is known as the highest militarized zone in the world.
Thousands of Indian and Pakistani troops contest an area at altitudes above 20,000 feet where they must deal with altitude sickness, high winds, frostbite and temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius.
