A soldier died and another was injured on Thursday morning after an avalanche hit an Army post in Sawjian sector of Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district, PTI reported. The deceased soldier was identified as Lance Naik Sapan Mehra of Kangra in Himachal Pradesh. Sepoy Harpreet Singh of Punjab was taken to a nearby health facility for treatment, the Hindustan Times reported.

According to reports, the avalanche hit the Army post of 40 Rashtriya Rifles, trapping the two soldiers under the snow. A rescue operation was launched soon after.

The state received its first snowfall earlier this week, with Kargil recording minus 17 degrees Celsius. The state is currently facing an annual 40-day harsh period of winter that is known as “Chillai-Kalan”. It will end on January 31.