Five Indian soldiers trapped under snow in IHK

HELD   SRINAGAR: Five Indian soldiers were trapped under heavy snow in Indian Held Kashmir on Saturday just days after another 20 people were killed by avalanches in the disputed territory, a military spokesman said.

The soldiers were approaching a border post in Machil, northwest of the main city of Srinagar along the LoC, when the track they were following caved in, Colonel Rajesh Kalia said. "Rescue operations to retrieve the trapped soldiers is going on," the army spokesman said.

Another 15 Indian soldiers died when a patrol and two camps were hit by avalanches in the north of the territory on Wednesday. It took rescuers two days to retrieve their bodies from under tons of snow.

Five civilians were also killed this week, including four members of a family when an avalanche ripped through their home as they slept. A lone survivor was rescued.