Avalanche in northern India kills 2 army mountaineers, injures about 20

Avalanche kills 2 Indian army mountaineers

LUCKNOW, India — An official says an avalanche hit army mountaineers in northern India, killing two and injuring about 20.

Neeraj Samwal, a district magistrate, says the 35-member team was on its way to 25,643-foot-high (7,816-meter-high) Kamat peak in the Garhwal region when the avalanche struck Tuesday. He says two mountaineers were killed and about 20 were injured.

P.C. Tamta, a state government spokesman, says heavy rain is hampering efforts to airlift the injured to a base camp.

Kamat, the second-highest mountain in Garhwal, is close to the border with China.

Frequent rain and heavy snowfall often trigger avalanches and landslides in the region. In February, a massive avalanche hit a military post in Indian-held Kashmir and killed 17 soldiers.