Shimla: An Army jawan of 7 JAK Rifles was killed and five others feared dead in an avalanche near Shipki La of Kinnaur district in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday. The avalanche hit around 11.30am, when the jawans were trying to fix a frozen pipe of water supply to their camp. Some ITBP jawans who were patrolling right above them tried to alert the Army jawans about the avalanche, but they had no time to run for safety.Kinnaur deputy commissioner Gopal Chand said there were around 15-16 jawans of Army and ITBP when the avalanche struck. Six Army personnel were buried under the snow but one was rescued and taken to hospital at Pooh, where he succumbed to injuries, the DC said. A team of about 150 persons, including Army personnel, is searching for the trapped jawans, along with ITBP and police officials. Some ITBP jawans also sustained minor injuries in the incident, Chand added.The entire area, located at an altitude of over 14,00 feet, is buried deep under three to four feet of snow. Shipki La is a mountain pass near which the Satluj enters India from Tibet.The incident is a grim reminder of the harsh conditions in which our soldiers guard the unresolved borders with China and Pakistan. In February 2016, 10 ill-fated soldiers from the 19 Madras Regiment -- including Lance Naik Hanumanthappa Koppad who survived for over eight days – had perished after being buried under a massive ice-wall avalanche in the Siachen Glacier-Saltoro Ridge region.Chief minister Jai Ram Thakur said the state government would provide all possible assistance to the Army to ensure speedy relief and rehabilitation works.

Stay updated with all the Latest Shimla headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.