Leh: Three soldiers lost their lives when an avalanche struck Siachen, the world's highest battlefield, in the Union Territory of Ladakh, officials said on Tuesday. The avalanche occurred in the 12,000-feet-high Siachen base camp area on Sunday, trapping three soldiers, including two Agniveers, the officials said. They said a rescue operation was immediately launched, and the bodies of the trapped soldiers were retrieved.

Avalanches are common at Siachen Glacier, located on the northern tip of the Line of Control at a height of around 20,000 feet. Temperatures regularly fall to -60 degrees Celsius. In 2021, two soldiers were killed in Siachen after an avalanche struck sub-sector Haneef. Other soldiers and porters were rescued after a six-hour-long operation.