Kinnaur avalanche: Bad weather slowing down rescue ops, says CM

Chief Minister Jairam Thakur on Sunday said the rescue operation being conducted in the aftermath of the avalanche that hit Kinnaur has been slowed down due to bad weather in the region.

"A team of experts is conducting rescue operation at the site. Due to bad weather, the operation has been progressing slowly. The body of 1 of the 5 missing Army personnel was recovered yesterday after 11 days," he told media here.

Last week, Thakur had assured all possible assistance to the Army to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation work.

The body of an Army personnel, identified as Rajesh Rishi, was evacuated yesterday from the site of the avalanche and was handed over to his family.

On February 20, six army men out of a total of 16 who had started their journey from Namgya to Shipkila to repair a water supply line went missing after an avalanche in Pooh sub-division of Kinnaur district.

Over 500 personnel of Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) have been pressed into action to locate the missing army men.