2012 Gayari Sector avalanche

On 7 April 2012, an avalanche hit a Pakistani military base near the disputed Siachen Glacier, trapping over 135 soldiers and civilian contractors under deep snow. An ongoing rescue operation has recovered at least 12 bodies, but over 100 people remain missing.

Background

Map of the Siachen Glacier area. The AGPL is shown as a red dashed line.

Main article: Siachen conflict

The Siachen Glacier, located in the eastern Karakoram range in the Himalaya Mountains at approximately 35.421226°N 77.109540°E / 35.421226; 77.109540, has been the site of intermittent conflict between India and Pakistan for several decades. In 1949, a ceasefire line was negotiated between the two countries in an effort to resolve the competing territorial claims of the the violent Kashmir conflict. The agreement, however, did not clearly delineate Siachen as either Indian or Pakistani, and competing claims to the barren area began to escalate. Both sides launched numerous mountaineering expeditions into the area during the 1970s and 1980s, and each side feared that the other's expeditions indicated plans to formalise control over the glacier and its surroundings; as such, both India and Pakistan began planning military operations to pre-empt the other's designs. On 13 April 1984, India launched Operation Meghdoot with the objective of taking control of the area, fearing it would fall into Pakistani hands. The operation was successful, and India extended its control over much of the small triangle triangle of mountainous, icy land, up to the passes of the Saltoro Ridge, situated west of the glacier, while Pakistan retained control over the western slopes and foothills of the ridge.

Though the Pakistani military has launched numerous attempts to wrest the region from Indian control, the situation on the ground has changed little, and the front has stagnated along the Actual Ground Position Line (AGPL), on the northern extreme of the Line of Control between India and Pakistan in the Kashmir region. With troops deployed at elevations of 6,700 metres (22,000 feet) above sea level, the glacier has come to be known as "the world's highest battlefield". A ceasefire has been in place since 2003, but thousands of troops from both sides remained stationed in at least 150 bases on the glacier and surrounding mountains and valleys. The simmering conflict over the glacier costs both countries millions of dollars each year.

Avalanches are known to occur frequently in the Siachen region, though casualties from them are generally low due to the fact that they normally strike remote, high-altitude "forward bases" with only a handful of troops. The most devastating one occurred in 2010, in which 24 Pakistani soldiers were killed.

Avalanche and rescue operation

Around 6:00 am Pakistan Standard Time (PKT) on 7 April 2012, a massive avalanche struck a Pakistani military headquarters at Gayari near the disputed Siachen glacier. Located in a valley between two peaks at 4,572 metres (15,000 feet) above sea level, the Gayari base is one of the most important Pakistani bases in the area. It is a vital supply hub for troops and materiel passing through to more remote bases, and is not far from a military hospital. At the time of the avalanche, the base was occupied by soldiers of the Northern Light Infantry regiment, a unit "trained in mountain operations". Avalanches are uncommon in the area of Gayari; due to the lowered risk, it was a bigger complex and housed many more soldiers than other bases in Siachen.

Initial reports indicated that at least 100 Pakistani soldiers, including a colonel and a commander, had been trapped. The number of people missing was later stated to be over 135—"at least 124 soldiers and 11 civilian contractors". No communication with any person from the base was reported after the avalanche.

A rescue operation was quickly launched by the Pakistani military. Over 150 soldiers—using helicopters, rescue dogs, and heavy machinery airlifted from Rawalpindi, a nearby garrison town—began searching the area for the missing soldiers and contractors, with "a team of doctors and paramedics" standing by. Due to the remoteness and extreme weather conditions, rescue operations were expected to take several days to complete. Nevertheless, Pakistani military sources remained "hopeful", and an anticipated improvement in weather conditions may quicken the operation.

Reactions

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani expressed his shock at the incident, and said "He would in no way would undermine the high morale of soldiers and officers."

Speaking to Al Jazeera, retired Pakistani Brigadier and current political analyst Shaukat Qadir called the incident "the biggest casualty that has ever happened", and noted that more soldiers have died from the extreme elements than from actual combat during the entire Siachen conflict: "[T]he fact of matter is that 70 per cent of the people have died because of natural causes, and I think this is the time we ended this damn conflict, which has absolutely no explanation." He also expressed hope that the incident would help bring an end to the Siachen conflict, and that a meeting in India between between Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on 8 April could help "[settle] this issue for both [sides]".