Two soldiers dead in avalanche at Sikkim’s Lugnak La

The incident happened near Lugnak La, which is at a height of more than 5,000 metre.

Two soldiers, including a Lieutenant Colonel, died in an avalanche near Sikkim’s Lugnak La on Thursday, an army official said.

Two soldiers have died in an avalanche that hit Northern Sikkim. (Bloomberg/Representational Image)

The incident happened near Lugnak La, which is at a height of more than 5,000 metre, in north Sikkim when eighteen soldiers, including three officers, were struck by a snow slide.

An army spokesman said: “A patrolling-cum-snow clearance party came under avalanche in North Sikkim on May 14. Inspite of the best efforts of the rescue team and local formation an officer Lieutenant Colonel Robert TA and Sapper Sapala Shanmukha Rao who were trapped under the ice lost their lives. All other members of the team are safe.”

North Sikkim was the site of a confrontation between Indian and Chinese troops on May 9. The face-off was at Naku La. Four Indian and seven Chinese soldiers were injured in the confrontation that involved around 150 soldiers.