Snow Avalanche Near Burzil Top Claims Lives of Army Personnel

News Desk
Astore: A snow avalanche struck near Burzil Top, short of Gultari Mor, in the early hours of 3 January 2026, resulting in the martyrdom of three individuals.
According to official sources, Pakistan Army personnel were moving from Burzil Top toward Gultari Mor to carry out snow clearance operations aimed at ensuring access to the area.During the operation, one snow vehicle became stuck in deep snow.
While efforts were underway to extract the vehicle, the entire party was hit by a sudden snow slide at approximately 2:00 hours.
Those declared martyrs are:
Captain Asmad, GSO-III
Sepoy Muhammad Rizwan
Essa Khan, Operator, C&W Astore
Following the incident, on the directives of Lt. (R) Muhammad Awais Abbasi, Rescue 1122 Astore teams, along with ambulances and mortuary vans, responded immediately and conducted joint rescue and recovery operations with the Pakistan Army.
The District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) Astore stated that it remains in close liaison with the Pakistan Army and is ready to provide further assistance if required.

The Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Saturday confirmed that a snow clearance operation was being carried out in the wee hours of Saturday to remove heavy snowfall using machinery in order to facilitate the operational movement of troops in the Burzil Top area.

According to an ISPR news release, the operation was led by Captain Asmad (28), a resident of Lahore. At around 2:00 am on 3 January 2026, while the operation was in progress, a snow slide was triggered, resulting in Captain Asmad, along with two soldiers and a civilian machine operator (PWD), becoming trapped under the snow.

The statement said that following intensive rescue efforts, all four individuals were pulled out from the snow. However, the condition of Captain Asmad, Sepoy Muhammad Rizwan (32), a resident of Attock, and machine operator Essa, a resident of Astore, deteriorated, and all three embraced Shahadat. One individual survived the incident.

ISPR said the martyrs made the ultimate sacrifice while leading a challenging operation under extreme weather conditions to ensure operational mobility of forces in the area. Their sacrifice and devotion to duty, the statement added, reflect the resolve and commitment of the Pakistan Armed Forces, whose personnel remain determined to defend the motherland and do not hesitate to lay down their lives in the line of duty.

It is a developing story.