Martyrs of 2012 Gayari avalanche honoured in Siachen

RAWALPINDI: A special ceremony was held in Gayari sector, Siachen, to pay tributes to the martyrs of a massive snow avalanche in 2012, the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said.

The ceremony was attended by Gilgit-Baltistan chief minister, corps commander Rawalpindi and relatives of the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty.

On the occasion, X Corps Commander Lieutenant General Nadeem Raza laid a floral wreath at the Shuhada Monument, the ISPR said in a statement.

Paying rich tribute to the martyrs and their families, he said that Pakistan Army will always remember its officers and men who laid their lives while defending the motherland.

In April 2012, over 120 valiant soldiers embraced martyrdom when an avalanche hit the military headquarters in the Gayari sector in the treacherous Siachen region.

The Sixth Northern Light Infantry Regiment was on duty at the world’s highest battle ground, operating in temperatures as low as -60°C (-76°F) battling vicious winds and altitude sickness — the region is just east of the world’s second-highest peak, K-2.

A battalion headquarter-size Pakistani post, which had been operational in Siachen for the last two decades, was lost under an avalanche 80 feet deep and almost 1 kilometre across on each side.

The avalanche buried 129 soldiers and 11 civilians under thick snow. 

Pakistan Army immediately began a rescue and search operation, and recovered bodies using heavy machinery after hectic, prolonged efforts with assistance from international rescuers.