135 People Feared Dead in Pakistani Avalanche

Posted April 8th, 2012 at 3:30 am (UTC-5)
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Pakistan continues its search Sunday for the 135 soldiers and civilians buried under a 20-meter wall of snow when an avalanche hit a military complex in mountainous Kashmir near the Indian border.

Military officials say no bodies have been recovered more than 24 hours after the disaster in the Siachen Glacier region.

The military has launched a huge search on the remote 6,000-meter peak, involving helicopters, search dogs, troops, doctors and paramedics.

The military said Saturday 124 soldiers from the 6 Northern Light Infantry Battalion were buried under the snow along with 11 civilians.

Both Pakistan and India have military outposts in the region, known as the world's highest battlefield.

Pakistan and India both have thousands of troops stationed in Kashmir, which both nations claim in full. Territorial disputes over control of the rugged region have sparked two wars between the nuclear-armed neighbors.

The base is located in a high risk area where the inhospitable climate and avalanche-prone terrain have claimed more lives than gunfire.