Jawan from Tamil Nadu among Jammu and Kashmir avalanche victims

Grieving relatives appealed to the Defence officials to initiate steps to return B Ilavarasan’s (27) body to his native place. His parents, Boonathan (57) and Amutha (48), both agricultural labourers who are engaged with MGNREGA works, received a call from the Defence Ministry that Ilavarasan was trapped in the avalanche. 

The shattered were in constant contact with officials who later confirmed that their son had perished. Ilavarasan was one among 15 soldiers who were killed on Wednesday. Ilavarasan, a BA graduate joined the Army in 2012 as part of the 51 Rashtriya Rifles. He was posted in Kashmir after completing his training. 

Ilavarasan is survived by his parents, his elder sister Sudha (32) and younger brother Vinothkumar (23), who has completed an ITI course. A grieving Boominathan said, “Ilavarasan had scheduled a visit during the Pongal holidays but he could not get leave and so he was expected to arrive next week. Now that is a distant hope.”