AT least 117 Pakistani soldiers were buried after an avalanche smashed into their army base.
Helicopters, sniffer dogs and troops have been sent to the remote Siachen Glacier, in the Himalayas, to try to rescue the men trapped under 70ft of snow.
More than 12 hours after the disaster, no survivors had been found.
Army spokesman Major General Athar Abbas said: “We are waiting for news and keeping our fingers crossed.
“It’s too early to say how many survived and how many bodies have been recovered.”
He added: “It’s on a massive scale. Everything is completely covered.”
The avalanche hit the headquarters in the glacier’s Gayari sector at 5:45am.
One officer said: “I can’t comprehend how an avalanche can reach that place. It was supposed to be safe.”
Siachen – known as the world’s highest battlefield – is on the northern tip of the divided Kashmir region.
It is claimed by both India and Pakistan. Both countries station thousands of troops there, who brave viciously cold temperatures, altitude sickness and high winds for months at a time.
Troops have been deployed at up to 22,000ft and have skirmished since 1984, though the area has been quiet since a 2003 ceasefire.
The headquarters is the main gateway through which troops and supplies pass on the way to remote outposts.
It is situated in a valley, close to a military hospital.
More soldiers have died from the harsh weather than fighting on the glacier.
Conflict there began in 1984 when India occupied the heights of the 49-mile-long glacier, fearing Pakistan wanted to claim the area.
Pakistan also deployed its troops.
Both armies remain entrenched despite the ceasefire, costing the poverty-stricken countries many millions of pounds each year.
Pakistan and India have fought three wars since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947.