New Delhi: North India has been experiencing intense winters and plunging temperatures, especially because of the constant snowfall, in the hilly regions including Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir. After a repeated alert regarding an avalanche, a massive avalanche struck Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir which has resulted in the death of a foreigner; while few skiers have been rescued, one is still feared missing and trapped. Read further to know latest update..
Massive Avalanche Hits Famous Hill Resort Of Gulmarg
As mentioned earlier, a massive avalanche has hit the Kongdoori Slopes of Gulmarg, in the Baramulla district of Gulmarg in North Kashmir. According to media reports, the natural calamity has hit a group of foreigner skiers and a rescue operation for them has also been launched. This avalanche has resulted in the loss of life of one foreigner and many people have been rescued; one is still feared missing. The local residents said that the foreigners’ group left for skiing without the local residents.
Avalanche In Gulmarg – 1 Dead, Search Ops Underway
The initial reports have said that one foreigner skier has been killed and six have been rescued who are being treated at a local hospital. The skier who has been killed in the Gulmarg Avalanche, was from Russia. According to officials, ‘The avalanche hit the foreign group around 2:00 PM..” It has also been reported that one skier is still trapped and a rescue operation is underway. Apart from the police, army and civil administration and choppers have also been called, for the rescue-cum-search operation.
Visuals Of Avalanche In Gulmarg
There have been visuals of the snow avalanche going viral on social media. In the viral photograph, tourists can be seen at a distance, in the blur of a possible snowstorm, with a yellow helicopter hovering above them, in all probability, there to rescue the tourists.
Snow avalanche hits upper reaches of J&K’s Gulmarg; details awaited
(Screengrab from a viral video) pic.twitter.com/RLIKJjxjMK
— ANI (@ANI) February 22, 2024
In another news, an avalanche also hit a hung area of Sonmarg on the Srinagar-Leh Road and blocked the flow of water in the Sindh Stream. Moderate to heavy snowfall has been experienced by Kashmir in the last three days and this weather has further increased the possibility of avalanches. A warning by authorities had also been issued for heavy snowfall in the first week of February, in the higher regions of the Kashmir Valley.
