Over the past week, the Indian Army has airlifted some 600 stranded civilians from Sela Pass and Gurez following months of intense snowfall and sub-zero temperatures.
The entire Gurez Valley has been cut off from Kashmir since early November, 2019 due to exceptionally heavy snowfall, with snow-clearing efforts along the key Razdan Pass -which connects Bandipora to Kanzalwan- not expected to be completed until the end of April.
On March 14, the Dawar Battalion of Snow Leopard Brigade received a request from the civil administration to evacuate 160+ civilians stranded in the "cut-off" Gurez and Bandipora regions.
The operation lasted hours amid record-breaking snowfall, reports
republicworld.com — and key to its success was the immediate medical support given to critically-ill patients suffering from the cold.
Saturday's evacuation of 160+ people came just days after March 8th's efforts to save 390+ stranded at Sela Pass in Tawang district, again due to record-breaking snowfall.
"The rescue operation was carried out at an altitude of 14,000 feet on the nights of March 7 and 8," Tezpur based Defence Spokesman Lt Col Harsh Wardhan Pande said. Those rescued were again provided with "immediate medical support" as well as "hot snacks".
India's record snowfall has contributed to the staggering accumulations across the Northern Hemisphere this season — levels are currently some 500+ gigatons above the 1982-2012 average:
Comment: Late heavy snowfall also hit the Pyrenees mountain range on the border with France: