ISLAMABAD: An avalanche engulfed a Pakistani army battalion headquarters near the Indian border on Saturday, burying 124 soldiers and 11 civilians, with no sign of survivors 17 hours later, the military said.
The snow left by the avalanche was up to 80 feet (25 metres) deep over an area a kilometre wide, state television quoted army spokesman Major-General Athar Abbas as saying.
The victims were trapped in one of the most unforgiving environments on earth, at an altitude of 15,000 feet (4,500 metres) near the Siachen Glacier in the Karakoram mountain range.
The area is also one of the world's most militarily tense frontiers, where the Pakistani and Indian armies have confronted each other over disputed territory for decades.
Eleven civilian employees of the military were buried under the snow along with the soldiers of the 6 Northern Light Infantry Battalion, the military said in a statement.
"This battalion headquarter (has been) situated at same place for the last 20 years and no incident of this nature has happened," it said.
TAKEN BY SURPRISE
Helicopters were deployed in a rescue operation. Troops used sniffer dogs to comb the area, said the military. Heavy engineering equipment was flown to the site from Rawalpindi.
"This happened at six o'clock. These avalanches usually happen at night. It took them by surprise," Abbas told Reuters.
The army listed the names of the missing soldiers and civilians on its public relations website.
Military experts say the inhospitable climate and avalanche-prone terrain have claimed more lives than gunfire.