Rich tributes paid to soldiers martyred in JK avalanche

KalimNews, Kalimpong, 28 March 2016: The mortal remains of the martyrs Rifleman Sunil Rai 22 along with Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang 36 of 2/11 Gorkha Rifles were flown to Bagdogra and further to their native places where they will be accorded befitting funerals with full military honours. 

A day after a massive avalanche hit the army patrol; the rescuers recovered the body of a missing solider from under the huge mounds of snow in the Turtuk Sector in Ladakh region on Saturday. Both were buried under huge mounds of snow when an avalanche swept away army patrol on March 25. 

Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang who was retrieved immediately succumbed to his injuries in the hospital on Friday. Mortal remains of Rifleman Sunil Raj were recovered by rescue teams from deep under the snow on Saturday morning. 

"Hailing from Lopchu village in Darjeeling of West Bengal, Lance Havildar Bhawan Tamang is survived by his wife, a six-year-old daughter and his parents. 

Rifleman Sunil Rai of Lower Santook Lungbhung Algarah village of Kalimpong, Darjeeling, West Bengal, is survived by his parents and two younger brothers". 

General Officer Commanding in Chief (GoC-in-C) Northern Command Lieutenant General DS Hooda expressed his deep condolences to the families of the martyrs. "The Indian Army fraternity stands shoulder to shoulder with the bereaved families in their hour of grief," he said. 

This is second time in a week when an avalanche has hit the Indian Army troopers in the cold desert of Ladakh. On March 17 an avalanche hit the army post situated at the altitude of 17,500 feet in the Kargil sector. Two soldiers, who were on surveillance duty, were swept away by the avalanche. 

One of the soldiers was immediately rescued while the body of another was retrieved from under the snow three days later. The Two soldiers were buried under snow in Ladakh's Turtuk Sector of Siachen— the highest battleground in the world — after the avalanche struck an Army patrol around 8 am on Friday.