130 feared buried in Himalayan avalanche that hit Pakistani military base
Indian soldiers carry their luggage on their heads as they walk through a snowstorm on the Jammu to Srinagar Highway at Patnitop, some 110kms north of Jammu. 04 January 2006.
An avalanche has buried around 130 soldiers at a Pakistani army base on a Himalayan glacier close to India.
The Associated Press reported that rescue efforts were under way on the remote Siachen Glacier, where thousands of Pakistani and Indian troops are based.
"At six o'clock this morning this avalanche hit a [military] headquarters. Over 100 soldiers and personnel are trapped," Al Jazeera quoted Major-General Arther Abba's, a military spokesman, as saying.
Siachen is the world's second longest glacier in the non-polar areas, according to The Nation, and located in the eastern Karakoram range, east of the Line of Control between India and Pakistan.
More from GlobalPost: Norway avalanche kills 4 tourists
The avalanche occurred at about 6 a.m. local time Saturday, the Nation added.
The region is known as the world's highest battlefield, the AP wrote, with intermittent skirmishes there since 1984.
India and Pakistan have deployed troops at elevations of up to 22,000 feet.
However, more soldiers have died from harsh weather there than combat.
More from GlobalPost: Avalanche at French ski resort traps skiers on lifts
The story you just read is accessible and free to all because thousands of listeners and readers contribute to our nonprofit newsroom. We go deep to bring you the human-centered international reporting that you know you can trust. To do this work and to do it well, we rely on the support of our listeners. If you appreciated our coverage this year, if there was a story that made you pause or a song that moved you, would you consider making a gift to sustain our work through 2024 and beyond?