Avalanche buries 100 Pakistani soldiers on Siachen glacier

April 7, 2012 – PAKISTAN - More than 100 soldiers are trapped after an avalanche at the Siachen glacier, a Pakistani military official said Saturday. Rescue operations are under way, and no deaths have been confirmed, said Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas, though Reuters reports there are few signs of life thus far. The avalanche came down right on top of the military headquarters that directs operations in the sector, he said. Large numbers of troops are now trying to approach the affected area from different directions, Abbas said. Helicopters and bulldozers are being deployed, as well as sniffer dogs. “It's a very massive scale slide,” he said. “They are under the slide but we haven't lost hope. The rescue work is on, and we are keeping our fingers crossed.” Abbas said the military had not been able to establish contact with anyone inside the base since the avalanche. But he said he had been in touch with the rescue mission commander, who told him recoveries had been made. Siachen glacier, which is 18,000 feet above sea level, is among the highest army posts in the world. It has been a point of conflict between the two south Asian nuclear neighbors, India and Pakistan. Indian troops have maintained a year-round presence there since 1984. -CNN