Srinagar: At least 15 soldiers were killed in a snow avalanche that swept Kargil sector in Jammu and Kashmir, an official spokesman said.

So far 10 bodies have been recovered, as Defence Minister George Fernandes flew to the frontier region of Ladakh on March 7 to join a large number of jawans and officers to bid a tearful adieu to those killed in the avalanche on March 1.

The coffins of the jawans have been flown to Chandigarh, from where they would be taken to their respective homes for last rites, the spokesman said.

Fernandes told reporters in Leh that despite the disaster, the morale of the jawans was high, be it the snow hazards of Siachen or the turbulent waves of Hind- Mahasagar.

PTI