Army rescues 390 civilians, 175 vehicles from Sela Pass in Arunachal

Itanagar, March 9 (IANS) The Indian Army has rescued 390 civilians and 175 civil vehicles stranded in sub-zero temperatures in the snow-clad Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh, a defence official said on Monday.

Army spokesman Lt Col P. Khongsai said that under a civic action operation, Army soldiers and recovery vehicles launched a major rescue operation on Saturday to rescue the stranded civilians and their vehicles at an altitude of approximately 14,000 feet.

"During the two-day (Saturday-Sunday) rescue operation, people were rescued from Sela Pass and were provided immediate medical support. They expressed their gratitude towards the Indian Army," Lt Col Khongsai said.

He said that besides saving precious lives, the 16-hour long operation in sub zero temperature strengthened the bonhomie and bonding between the Indian Army and civilians.

On March 2, the Indian Army had rescued 111 tourists and locals, including women and children, stranded in sub-zero temperatures at Sela Pass, which is a high-altitude mountain pass located in Tawang district in western Arunachal Pradesh, bordering China.

It connects the Buddhist city of Tawang with Tezpur and Guwahati in Assam and is the main road connecting it with the rest of India.