An avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg hill station killed a Russian skier on Friday, the police said. The deceased was identified as Stanis Dav, they added.
The police said that they had rescued four skiers. The four, also Russian nationals, were skiing near Apharwat peak in Hapat Khud area when the avalanche occurred, Divisional Commissioner Basheer Ahmad told The Times of India.
Authorities had issued a warning of an avalanche after fresh snowfall in Kashmir on Monday. On Thursday, a “medium danger” alert was issued for Baramulla, Gulmarg, Furkian-Z Gali and Kupwara-Chowkibal-Tangdhar areas, the Hindustan Times reported.
However, Muhammad Haneef Balki, the chief executive officer of the Gulmarg Development Authority, told The Times of India that the Russians ignored warnings.
Avalanches have killed several people in Jammu and Kashmir this year. On January 18, a Swedish skier died in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday after an avalanche struck the Gulmarg ski resort.
On January 5, eleven people died in the avalanche that hit a passenger vehicle in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kupwara district. On February 2, three soldiers were killed and one was injured after an avalanche struck an Army post at Sona Pandi Gali in Kupwara.
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