Himachal Pradesh: Army jawan trapped in Rohtang avalanche rescued

An Indian Army jawan, who was trapped for hours in avalanche near Rohtang Tunnel’s north portal, was rescued on Sunday.

Three jawans were on their way to Manali in Himachal Pradesh on foot from Stingri when masses of ice and snow started rolling down the mountain on Saturday evening.

While two others managed to take shelter inside the tunnel in the Lahul-Spiti district, one got stuck in the thick layer of snow, said an official of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO).

A BRO team, which was pressed into the rescue operation, pulled out the trapped jawan after several hours of efforts.

The official said all three were safely brought to the BRO medical centre at Dhundhi.

The 8.8km-long tunnel was inaugurated by defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman in October last year. It reduced the travel time between Manali and Leh by two-and-a-half hours.