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Fakhar ur Rehman / NBC News
NBC's Fakhar Rehman stands among the rescuers at Pakistan's Gayari Army base on Thursday.
GAYARI ARMY BASE, Pakistan – Rugged gray mountains of snow and ice spotted with heavy machinery and rescue workers are all that remains of Pakistan's Gayari army base.
An avalanche struck the battalion headquarters of the 6th Northern Light Infantry 14,000 feet up in the mountains of Kashmir on April 7, burying alive 129 Pakistan army soldiers and 11 civilians in the wee hours of the morning.
After nearly two weeks of struggles, rescue and recovery efforts at what’s been called “the world’s highest battlefield” are over and the search for bodies is on.
Pakistani and Indian soldiers have been sitting eyeball to eyeball in this remote outpost for nearly 30 years -- fighting less against each other than against the extreme weather.
Dramatic site
The first opportunity for the Pakistani army to take media up to the site came on Thursday -- 12 days after the horrific avalanche -- because of continuously bad weather. Situated in the mountains more than 680 miles north of Islamabad, it took traveling in a military plane, helicopters, 4x4 trucks and then on foot to reach the site.
Fakhar ur Rehman / NBC News
Heavy machinery works at what was the Pakistani army's Gayari base in the Kashmir mountains to find bodies of the 140 people who were buried in an avalanche on April 7, 2012.
Towering snow-covered peaks against a lush blue sky, with an aquamarine stream flowing in the valley and terraced fields of potatoes and wheat were beautiful, but there was nothing but sadness at the site of the incident.
PhotoBlog: Pakistan vows not to give up on avalanche victims
This was my second visit to the area in 15 years. Seeing the size of the mud-filled snow slide, heavy rocks, boulders and slush spread over about a third of a square mile was horrifying. And at 14,000 feet above sea level, I really felt difficulty breathing.
“Tell us immediately if you feel any pain in chest or neck,” Brigadier Saqib Mahmood Malik, the Siachen brigade commander, warned the gathered media. “We will give you quick paramedic service,” he promised.
Weather has been a major difficulty hampering the efforts to dig into the ground where the battalion headquarters was stationed.
More than 400 soldiers have been busy with heavy machinery such as bulldozers and excavators looking for the remains of their compatriots, but there has been no sign of life, let alone any bodies.
Fakhar ur Rehman / NBC News
Rescue workers try to dig a tunnel at what was the Pakistani army's Gayari base in the Kashmir mountains to find bodies of the 140 people who were buried in an avalanche on April 7, 2012.
The tragedy triggered a response from the world community, with the U.S., Germany, Switzerland and Norway sending expert teams immediately to assist with the rescue effort.
“The whole mountain has fallen,” said a soldier, pointing his finger toward the snow-covered peak where the avalanche began. Pakistani army Chief General Ashfaq Kayani promised that they will continue to dig into the mountain to recover the bodies until they succeed. Soldiers are busy digging a tunnel 70 feet deep into the mass of the avalanche.
Standoff in the mountains
The missing soldiers were part of the Pakistani military deployment to the area that sits just below the Siachen Glacier, in the northern part of the Kashmir region. The Kashmir is the area that is the main source of tension between India and Pakistan, the nuclear-armed rival India has been fighting against since 1947.
The avalanche is the biggest loss for Pakistan at the Gayari base since the conflict with India began in 1984.
Fakhar ur Rehman / NBC News
Rescue workers try to dig a tunnel at what was the Pakistani army's Gayari base in the Kashmir mountains to find bodies of the 140 people who were buried in an avalanche on April 7, 2012.
Guns have been silent between India and Pakistan since a 2003 ceasefire. But both armies have stayed put to guard their respective territories and continued to fight the harsh mountain weather with sub-zero temperatures. More lives have been lost over the years to the freezing temperatures and treacherous conditions than combat.
Of all the problems plaguing the two countries, Siachen is often described as one of the easiest to solve. But any resolution to the conflict has been held hostage by general mistrust and hard-liners on both sides who don't want to give up their claim on territory, however strategically insignificant.
Hope for peace
The tragedy has brought to light the need to put an end to the senseless fight.
“Both are fools,” said Shujaat Ali, a 50-year-old civilian resident of the area. “They can earn more with tourism in this region than what they spend on the battle here,” he added.
“Both countries must work to pull out troops from the region. Siachen is a difficult front,” Kayani, Pakistan’s top army officer, said on Thursday. "This conflict should be resolved, but how it is resolved, the two countries have to talk about it," he added.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman said Thursday that “various proposals have been made under the Siachen dialogue process, and that includes redeployment of forces.” He said dates have already been proposed to India for a new round of talks on the issue with Pakistan.
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Leave a Comment:
Tragedy caused by too much mining for Slurpee material in order to supply all the demand at 7-11s.
No weezing the juice!
Sure joke about the deaths of 140 humans.
Amazingly enough- the area doesn't smell any worse.
It occurs to me that certain areas are known as "No Man's Land" for very real reasons.
Just call it off and go home. You'll be alot warmer.
Most Military Service Members of the World do NOT abandon their Friends and Buddies even if they are deceased.
Keep laughing it up _______arse.
The out manned out funded Pakistanis Military has saved more US Citizens of the US Military Lives than you ever will by attacking the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists at Northwestern Pakistan, the same kind of Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists that conducted the 9/11 2001 Attacks, Mumbai Massacre, etc..
That is what happens when nations fight over few acres of snow and rocks. Send the f-king politicians from both countries there for a few months and I guarantee they will quickly resolve their border dispute.
A bunch of kids that never even got a start in life.
if everyone got along there would have been no need for an outpost and 140 lives would not have been lost.
The only people there were Pakistani and Indian troops which seems absurd that they're "facing off" over territory that nobody inhabits.
Uh huh we will all join hands, dance around, singing Khumbaya.
How about researching 1940s India to figure out about why the Fundamentalist Islamic Republic of Pakistan was formed. Hindus versus Fundamentalist Islam.
David, I know you know this, but I have to point out that the Hindus had good reason to go at the Moslems. When the Moslems invaded India, they were on the exact same level as the NAZI were to the Jews only they didn't have gas chambers.
I feel very sorry for the Pakistanis that just want to live in peace, BUT since they let their radical brothers do what ever they want, (because Allah tells them how to live every aspect of their lives) then I say it sucks for them to be caught in the cross fire.
I personaly
I don't live in any mountainous region but it seems that common logic would tell you that you don't camp or build anything in an area that could pose a danger in the event of an avalanche. that picture of the remains of the camp suggest to me that some one was not thinking.
Being here (Afghanistan) for years of consecutive tours conducting US Military Asymmetric MountainWarfare (including technical mountain climbing) above 6,000 feet a about 4 degrees F. During Winter we switch to our Arctic/Winter Warfare White Uniforms. We are trained to detect locations of potential avalanches (Winter phase of Mountain Warfare School, and Arctic/Winter Warfare School).
That was a Glacier, usually ice frozen year round to the mountains, some glaciers are around for many Centuries and nothing happens.
From those photos it looks like part of the mountain broke loose (why the snow and ice is gray).
The first photo shows in the background what we have been at for years here as the same Mountain Range just the other Pakistanis Border (North Western) of Northeastern Afghanistan as the Pamir Mountains "The Roof Of The World". This is the same Mountain Range that includes Mount Everest.
So sure you tell the Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadists from coming over the borders up here and maybe the Pakistanis Military, India's Military, Afghan ISAF, and we (US Military) can finally go someplace warm.
Oh Dear !
Imagine a world without politicians. All these silly standoffs around the world that in the end cost lots of lives and achieve nothing.
Amen GCV.
Well said GCV, "a world without politicians", wouldn't that be nice.
It would be nice but whether you call them politicians or dons or chiefs or whatever......there is always someone that wants to be big man on campus and will do whatever is necessary to get there.
Even in peace, there is a politician somewhere thinking about starting a self serving war! History has proven this over and over.
Are these the same posters who love big government and government organization of every aspect of life, unless that control includes compelling you to defend it....then they are all evil and war mongering. Humanity has been fussing, feuding, and fighting since time began, literally....and it would seem that as long as the insurgents aren't rousting you out of your beds, taking your personal belongings, hurting your family or burning you out of your home.....it is OK for them to do it somewhere else to somebody else. You are the same people who complain about lack of sympathy and empathy from those who are religious, because that inconveniences you So much situational ethics.
why do we keep helping these Muslim scum?
Don't forget, same muslim 'scum' have lost more soldiers than US , fighting Al Qaeda & Talibans.
This is truly one of the dumbest conflicts on Earth set in one of the harshest climates on Earth. It's just neither wants to give an inch or they believe they'll be seen as weak. Actually, in their mutual delusion, they will. They should simply declare a DMZ and retreat down to the tree lines in their respective countries, and leave the border for what it is - a dangerous wasteland that no one can "win" and no one can "control."
Actually Kashmir is a very beautiful and fertile valley, much sought after. These poor soldiers were just unlucky enough to be stationed in the uninhabital far northern section of that area. Poor saps, probably were stationed there because they pissed off an officer.
140 is a good start on the elimination of a terrorism supporting military.
Why are you so uninformed?
It is the Fundamentalist Islamic Believers as the "People of Pakistan" that supports Fundamentalist Islamic Jihadist Organizations of Al Quada, Pakistanis Taliban, Haqqini Network, Army of Islam Pakistan. Not the US Ally Pakistanis Government nor the Pakistanis Military.
This is why it was the Fundamentalist Islamic Believers of Pakistan that gave Osama Bin Laden Islamic Sanctuary right under the noses of the US Ally Pakistanis Government and Pakistanis Military.
What a terrible waste of time and money. The bodies should just be left there as a reminder of how stupid it is to fight over an uninhabitable patch of rock and snow.
God wills it.
No my friend, God gave MAN free will, lest you forget.
Not over there. Everything is God wills it.
It might be timely to point out to both countries that we are one species, and they are more closely related as ethnic groups than many, as is true with the Israelis and the Palistinians. It would help to point out that Nations per se are illusions, ephemeral realms that often unite more adverse people than they do actual comrades. Larger problems face them than the differences they imagine they have. These are hunger, sanitation, communication and infrastructure, education, social injustice, and pollution. These are problems shared by the World, of which they are a part. Our problems should unite us, and our differences should serve to entertain, not to separate us.
Dumb is as dumb does, the stupid ass countries I mean.
Wonder how many times Allah Akbar was heard.
While I have compassion I somehow cannot believe that Strix' Law should apply here...
Irrelevant ignorance is at play here at some level; empirical insanity is a given. I can see freezing my ass off for chalet and slopes in the Alps - but uhgg - in this God forsaken parcel of hell WTF?
You would think they would have built a bunker that could withstand an avalanche. Pretty dumb.
@!$%# Pakistan, they can suck the content of my balls!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's just a very hard part of the worlds to live in never mind any rescue work. Pakistan's infostructure is for the birds. This could easilly have happened to an entire village and no one there would have cared. I've seen tens of thousands of people washed away by mud slides Venezuala and no one even cared becasue they were poor. There needs to be massive changes in the way people are alerted or rescued.
I don't like Mr. Rehman's writing. He's just trying too hard to make the story visual (like colour of the sky) and it's not appropriate.
Leslie, I think the contrast of beauty against the reality of life is a bitch is really nice.
Well, India has a chance to use its new missile with a neclear war head on it, India go for it, the US and Europe are with you. They trust you, I think, just don't aim these at Israel or the US and the European nations will nuke your country.
Bobby Jones Bia ... those people can also say how many people heard Halleluja during Katrina, alabama tornadoes and Now Dallas.
Bigfoot --------------- i am sure you saying their 140 is a good start and i think they can also say that 236 dead in April 2011 Alabama tornadoes was of red state heavily in the armed forces as some kinda retribution
same goes for grumpy bob too
you guys ought to respect humans even if they are enemy
How many of you posting comments here know that this outpost is most critical to India's security? Have you heard of Kargil? In 2004, Pakistani Army sneaked into the Indian territory through Kargill just because India thought that they had a peace agreement with Pakistan. W ehad to flush them out by carpet bombing and it was a battle which lasted couple of days.
It is the will of Allah.
Looks like an awesome place for extreme skiing!
These soldiers are in general from the poorer parts...villages and farmers where money cannot be made, so they just join this work as a job. Little do they realize that they will suffer and die alone, in remote areas or with a bullet in the head with petty payouts after death, while the top 2% of the elites who run the politics of this country or have a strangle hold on status-quo purely for keeping their power (read money-making) will call the shots. Reality is that poverty provides the ready available fodder (young poor men) for wars or terrorism where ever they are fought, while the folks who drive them to such path are usually people who are after extreme riches or power or a place in history (or all three). Whole nations over time disappear but thankfully mankind has still survived because despite all the evil there is still lot of sense and peace left among humans.
I lit a candle in the bathroom.
Sensitive, yes?
You are a flake.