9 Feb 2010

Kashmir avalanche kills 11 troops

6:05 am on 9 February 2010

At least 11 Indian soldiers have been killed after an avalanche struck a military training camp in Kashmir.

Dozens more have been rescued. Three are still missing.

Fifteen soldiers are described as being in a critical condition.

About 400 troops were stationed at the high-altitude camp, which is reported to have been engulfed in snow.

They were on a training exercise at a high altitude warfare school, nearly 3,000 metres above sea level in the Khelenmarg mountains.

The BBC reports avalanches are common in Kashmir, but this is one of the deadliest to occur in the region in recent years.

Tourists were unaffected by the avalanche because it happened at a higher altitude than Gulmarg, a nearby ski resort.