Srinagar: A fresh avalanche hit Kashmir
Valley Tuesday, killing an army jawan in Kupwara district, a day
after 17 armymen met a similar fate during a winter warfare
training exercise.
The avalanche hit Tangdhar, 145 kms from here, around
0345 hours trapping 14 army personnel, a defence spokesman
said.
All the 14 army personnel were extricated from the
deep snow but one of them died later.
A massive avalanche had slammed the popular ski resort
of Gulmarg yesterday, killing 17 soldiers and injuring an
equal number when the troops were in the midst of a winter
warfare training on steep slopes about 70km from here.
The avalanche came hurtling down on the 60-strong combat
troops as they were scaling the icy walls of high-altitude
Khilanmarg peak in near zero visibility.
Referring to the Khilanmarg tragedy involving men from
the High Altitude Warfare School, Army Spokesman Colonel A S
Brar told PTI that bodies of the soldiers could not be brought
to Srinagar due to bad weather and closure of the road in
Gulmarg.
He said the weather was hostile in Gulmarg and its
perphery due to continuous heavy snowfall. The road to Gulmarg
was also closed due to heavy accumulation of snow.
The condition of 17 injured soldiers was stable, he
said.
Snowfall, rain continue; 1,100 vehicles stranded
With no let up in snowfall
and rain for the fifth consecutive day today, Srinagar-Jammu
national highway remained closed, severely affecting the road
traffic as over 1,100 vehicles were stranded at several places
on the stretch.
The 300-km highway is the only surface link between
Kashmir valley and rest of the country.
"Due to fall of stones and landslides, the highway is
closed for vehicular traffic for the fourth day today at
Jawahar tunnel-Qazigund, Panthal and Ramban sections," a
spokesman of traffic department said.
The number of stranded vehicles have gone up to 1100,
most of them trucks carrying essential supplies to Kashmir
valley, police officials said.
The vehicles are stranded at various points -- Ramban,
Banihal, Patnitop, Udhampur and Nagrota on the highway, they
said.
The Border Roads Organisation (BRO) was working to clear
the highway but the continuous snowfall was hampering their
operation, the officials said.
Jammu-Poonch highway is also blocked for the vehicular
traffic due to snowfall at Dera-Ki-Gali area.
Banihal, Batote and Qazigund along the highway received
heavy snowfall and rains for the fifth day. About 133 mm of
snow and rain was recorded at Batote, 130.8 mm at Banihal and
82.6 mm at Qazigund till 0830 hours when it was still snowing
and raining in the areas.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 13:40