CORRECTS – Kashmir: Indian army officer killed in fire at Siachen glacier

CORRECTS LEDE, DEATH TOLL; ONE OFFICER KILLED, THREE SOLDIERS INJURED; CHANGES HEADLINE, DECK; MANY CHANGES THROUGHOUT

By Nusrat Sidiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) - A fire at the Siachen glacier in Indian-administered Kashmir on Wednesday left one army captain dead and three soldiers injured, said officials.

According to the Indian Army, the incident occurred in the early hours Wednesday at the Siachen glacier, one of the world’s largest glaciers with a length of 76 kilometers (47 miles), in the northern Kashmir region.

“In a fire accident at the Siachen glacier today, one officer died while three soldiers were injured. The injured have been safely evacuated from there to the hospital. The incident took place around 3.30 am,” Wednesday, or 2200GMT Tuesday, said the public relations office in the Ladakh region’s capital Leh.

The Siachen glacier is known as world's highest battlefield, where rival soldiers of Pakistan and India are stationed, facing each other since the early 1980s.

Officials identified the deceased officer as Cpt. Anshuman Singh, regimental medical officer, who succumbed to severe burns sustained during the incident.

According to officials, the injured soldiers, who suffered smoke inhalation and second-degree burns, are currently in stable condition.