Swiss team to assist at Pakistan avalanche site
A team from the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit has been flown to Pakistan to assist in rescue efforts following an avalanche in a Himalayan region that buried 135 people.
The three-member Swiss team, including a dog handler with an avalanche rescue dog, was dispatched on Monday in response to a request for help from the Pakistani government, a Swiss foreign ministry statement said.
“Switzerland has internationally recognised expertise in high altitude mountain rescue,” the foreign ministry added.
Since a massive wall of snow engulfed the Pakistani military complex close to the Siachen Glacier on Saturday, rescue teams have been unable to locate any survivors.
The missing include 124 soldiers serving as part of the Pakistani military deployment to the glacier which forms the northern part of Kashmir region, disputed between Islamabad and India.
Switzerland has been active in development work in Pakistan for more than 40 years.
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