An officer of the Indian Army and four members of a family were killed after two avalanches hit the Ganderbal and Bandipora districts of Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday morning. Eight army jawans, who were earlier reported to be missing, were rescued and are safe.
An avalanche hit an Indian Army camp in the hill station of Sonamarg, located in the Ganderbal district of the state, on Wednesday morning killing an army officer. A police officer told the Indian Express that Major Amit of the High Altitude Warfare School lost his life after getting trapped or buried under the avalanche.
Another avalanche hit the Gurez sector, located close to the Line of Control, of the Bandipora district of the state claiming the lives of four members of family. According to a police official, the avalanche hit Badoogam village, situated in Gurez's Tulail area. early morning burying the house of Mehraj-ud-Din Lone.
The official told the daily that the house collapsed under the debris of the avalanche killing Lone, his wife and their two children — 22-year-old son Irfan and 19-year-old daughter Gulshan. Authorities were able to rescue their third child — Reyaz Ahmad — who was admitted to a hospital.
"Disaster management teams have been constituted. (I) appeal (to the) people to take avalanche related warnings seriously," Divisional Commissioner (Kashmir) Baseer Khan told ANI on Wednesday.
Authorities have also issued warning of an avalanche in the higher reaches of the Valley after there was fresh snowfall on Tuesday (January 24). People have been advised to stay away from mountains and foothills, the daily reported.
