Indian Air Force Friday rescued 61 persons who were trapped in a semi-frozen river in cold desert region of Ladakh.
The head of disaster management Kashmir, Amir Ali said, "We sought the help of IAF to rescue the civilians trapped in a river while they were on way from Leh town to Zanskar in Kargil district.
"The river Chaddar in which the civilian were trapped usually remains frozen along with other water bodies in Ladakh region. But, this time the ice had melted early trapping the villagers," Ali said.
"Two helicopters were pressed into service and the trapped villagers were evacuated safely to Zanskar."
The IAF this winter operated several rescue missions to evacuate civilians trapped in snow. Kashmir had a bitter winter this year after over a decade.
