Six soldiers and as many civilians have been killed in four separate avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir since Monday night, PTI reported.
Five of the soldiers were killed after an avalanche struck an Indian Army post in Jammu and Kashmir’s Machil sector in Kupwara district on Tuesday. A rescue operation was launched but none of them could be saved.
In another incident, at least five people, including a villager and two of his sons, died after an avalanche hit central Kashmir district of Ganderbal, according to KashmirLife. A group of nine people, who were reportedly part of a rescue operation in Risen Kolan area of Ganderbal, were buried under the avalanche at Gund on Monday evening. Four people were located after a rescue operation was launched by the police and locals. Five bodies of those missing were found on Tuesday morning.
Another civilian died in Gurez of Bandipora district.
In the fourth incident, a 29-year-old Border Security Force personnel was killed and six others were rescued after an avalanche hit their post along the Line of Control in Kashmir’s Naugam sector at 8.30 pm on Monday. The deceased constable was identified as Ganga Bara of the 77th battalion of the force.
“There were a total of seven troops deployed in the affected area,” a senior officer of the BSF said. “While six were safely rescued, constable Bara could not be revived even after much effort.”
Authorities have launched rescue operations in the avalanche-hit areas. A low-level warning has been issued for Tuesday and Wednesday for several areas, including Leh, according to an official, who cited a communication from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment. High-altitude areas of the two Union Territories have been witnessing moderate to heavy snow.
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