NORWAY-AVALANCHE
Police and volunteers of the Red Cross take part in the operations to recover the bodies of the tourists who were buried in snow during an avalanche in the Blåbærfjellet mountain, on January 17, 2019, near Nordkjosbotn in Tamokdalen valley, northern Norway.  RUNE STOLTZ BERTINUSSEN/AFP/Getty Images [Representational Image]

Four people were killed and seven trapped under snow after an avalanche hit Ladakh in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday.

The incident took place at Khardung La pass which is 26 kilometres away from Leh. According to police, an SUV carrying civilians was buried under the snow after the avalanche.

The Army, Kashmir police and Disaster Management Force are conducting rescue operations at the site. The rescue forces recovered bodies of four civilians after hours of rescue operations.

"Rescue operation launched after civilians got buried under snow. It is believed that they were digging snow at Khardung La in Leh. Digging triggered a snow slide and civilians got buried. We are fearing that the civilians are trapped," said Deputy Commissioner Leh, Avny Lavasa, reported The Indian Express.

A high alert for avalanche was sounded by the administration on Thursday in nine districts of Kashmir for the avalanche-prone areas of Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil and Leh districts following adverse weather advisory by the India Meteorological Department (Met) department.

(More details awaited)