New Delhi: The bodies of seven Indian Army soldiers from the Jammu and Kashmir Rifles regiment who perished in an avalanche near the sacred ‘108 waterfalls’—almost on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh—were recovered on Tuesday and the rescue and search missions have been called off.
In a way, these deaths at about 14,500 feet can be attributed to the tense relationship between India and China—the Asian giants who are locked in an ongoing standoff along the LAC since June 2020—as difficult areas such as the ‘108 waterfalls’ in Chumi Gyatse further up from Tawang were not usually patrolled in the winter months when heavy snow and inclement weather almost cut off the stretch.
According to a source, the jawans were from a forward post near the Salung Zalung area. “Initially just one JAK RIF jawan from the patrol party had got trapped in the snow rush. It was in trying to rescue him that the six others too got hit by the fast-moving wall of ice,” the source said on condition of anonymity. “The bodies are being brought to the post from where they will be brought to Tawang before being sent to their respective home addresses for the final rites.”
WATCH: Avalanche hits Himachal's Lahaul-Spiti district
Tapir Gao, Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh told ETV Bharat: “The incident took place about in a very difficult area which witnesses heavy snow regularly. It is a little beyond the Chumi Gyatse holy waterfalls, about 100 km northeast from Tawang, and much east of the Bumla border meeting point between India and China.” According to the legends of the local Monpa community who follow Tibetan Buddhism, the ‘108 waterfalls’ in Chumi Gyatse was created after a mythical showdown between Guru Padmasambhava and a high priest of the Bonpa sect.
Guru Padmasambhava is one of the most revered and worshipped figures of Tibetan Buddhism while the Bonpa religion ruled supreme in Tibet and surrounding areas including Arunachal Pradesh in the pre-Buddhist times. The weather conditions have been very inclement and unpredictable in most high altitude areas of Arunachal Pradesh for the past week with markedly heavy snowfall. An army statement on Tuesday afternoon said: “Bodies of all seven individuals have been recovered from the avalanche site. Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of everyone involved, all seven have been confirmed deceased.”
“The area, located at an altitude of 14,500 feet, had been witnessing inclement weather with heavy snowfall since the last few days. The bodies of the soldiers are currently being transferred from the avalanche site to the nearest Army medical facility for further formalities.” Tragedies due to avalanches are not new in the difficult Himalayan region.
In recent times, on November 18, 2019, eight soldiers died in an avalanche in Siachen. That was preceded by another tragedy in February 2016 when the snow rush claimed the lives of 11 Indian soldiers. Nearly a thousand Indian soldiers have lost their lives while discharging their official duties in the stretch from Siachen to Arunachal Pradesh. The most devastating tragedy due to avalanche till now was on April 7, 2012, when about 135 Pakistani soldiers died after being buried under tons of snow after an avalanche hit them near Siachen.
Also read: When the ice came crashing down on Siachen’s braves
