Seven Indian soldiers killed in Himalayan avalanche

Bodies recovered from disaster site on Chinese border

An avalanche in the Himalayas. Seven soldiers were killed during a routine foot patrol in the high-altitude Kameng sector when an avalanche struck on Sunday. Alamy

Seven Indian soldiers have died after being hit by an avalanche on the Chinese border in the remote north-eastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh.

They were on a routine foot patrol in the high-altitude Kameng sector along the Line of Actual Control — the disputed border between India and China — when the avalanche struck on Sunday, the Indian Army said.

The soldiers were reported missing after the incident on Sunday and rescue attempts were made.

But the army said on Tuesday that they had been killed and their bodies had been recovered from the avalanche site.

Several emergency teams were flow in to help with the rescue operation in a region that has recorded heavy snowfall for several days.

Avalanches are common in the upper reaches of Himalayas during the winter months.

Last May, two Indian soldiers were killed after they were hit by an avalanche in Sikkim, another Himalayan state.

In October, seven trekkers were found dead after falling into a gorge following heavy snowfall near the 5,200-metre Lamkhaga Pass.

The Indian Army has enhanced its military presence in the remote state located on the border with China's Tibet region following several standoffs between Indian and Chinese forces in recent years.