Avalanche hits Indian military patrol near Kashmir LoC

 An avalanche hit an Indian military patrol pass on Saturday near Line of Control (LoC) in Kashmir leaving five people missing, official said.
"Today morning an avalanche triggered from the higher reaches of Shamshabari Range hit our patrol party and overran a junior commissioned officer (JCO), three troopers and one civilian porter, " Lt Col N N Joshi, a military spokesman told Xinhua.
The avalanche hit the Nasta Chun Pass in the frontier Kupwara district, about 175 km northwest of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.
Indian military has pressed in rescue teams to search the missing troopers in the area.
"Army avalanche rescue teams located at Nasta Chun Pass were immediately rushed to the spot to carry out search and rescue operation," Joshi said.
Landslides and avalanches are often triggered by frequent rains and heavy snowfall in Kashmir due to its rugged terrain. At least 19 Indian troopers were killed after avalanches hit their camps in the region in 2012.