Army rescues 390 people trapped in snow at Sela Pass in Arunachal

Soldiers of the Army rescued 390 civilians trapped in heavy snow and sub-zero conditions at 14,000 ft in Arunachal Pradesh on the intervening night of March 7 and 8.

This followed the rescue of 111 people at the same place — Sela Pass on the border between Tawang and West Kameng districts — on March 1.

“The operation to rescue people, including women and children, travelling in 175 vehicles took 16 hours,” said Lt. Col. P. Khongsai, the Army’s Guwahati-based spokesperson.

The rescued people were provided medical support and hot snacks to insulate them from hypothermia and other health complications caused by exposure to extreme cold conditions.

Terrain-specific vehicles used by the Army helped guide the civilian vehicles away to conditions easier to negotiate, officials said.