Srinagar: Two securitymen and a civilian were
killed and 10 others injured as snowfall and rains triggered
fresh avalanches and landslides in Kashmir valley on Tuesday,
raising the death toll to 20 in two days.
An avalanche buried an army post in a forward area in
Tangdhar sector, 145 kms from here in Kupwara district, around
0345 hours trapping 14 jawans. Though all of them were taken
out of snow, one died later, a defence spokesman said.
In a separate incident, due to heavy snowfall a tree fell
on a barrack of 26th Battalion SF in Nowgam sector, also in
Kupwara, leaving three personnel injured. They were shifted to
district hospital, Baramulla where one of them identified as
constable Aslam Din died, a police spokesman said.
The condition of two others -- head constable Davinder
Singh and constable Sajad Ali -- was stated to be "serious".
A civilian Mohammad Yousuf was killed and five members of
his family were injured when a landslide struck their house at
Nowaranda in Uri sector, 100 kms from here, the police
spokesman said.
Besides, an army jawan and a civilian identified as
Ghulam Qadir Rather were injured as falling stones from a
hillock hit them at Saidpora bridge in Uri.
In another incident of landslide, Ghulam Mohammad
Ahangar, a teacher, was injured at Garkote-Uri. Four houses
were also damaged in the sector.
A massive avalanche had slammed the popular ski resort
of Gulmarg yesterday killing 17 soldiers and injuring an equal
number when the tragedy struck troops during winter warfare
training on steep slopes, about 70km from here.
The avalanche came hurtling down on the 60-strong combat
team as they were scaling the icy walls of high-altitude
Khilanmarg peak in near-zero visibility.
About the tragedy involving men from the high-altitude
warfare school, Army spokesman J S Brar said that bodies
could not be brought to Srinagar due to bad weather and
closure of road in Gulmarg. Weather was hostile in Gulmarg and
its periphery due to continuous heavy snowfall, which left a
heavy accumulation of snow on the road to Gulmarg.
The condition of 17 injured soldiers was stable, he said.
The high altitude areas of the valley have been receiving
heavy snowfall since February 5, while the plains including
Srinagar were lashed by incessant rains and snow.
Most of the high-altitude areas were blanketed by a snow
cover of five to ten feet. The heaviest snowfall of the season
had prompted authorities to issue an avalanche warning
yesterday.
"The warning is in force for the next 48 hours also and
people are advised to avoid movement in avalanche-prone
areas," official sources said.
Meanwhile landslides at Mohra and Lagama near Uri, about
100 kms from here, had affected traffic on Srinagar-Uri road
in the morning. The stretch was cleared for vehicles by
evening.
PTI
First Published: Tuesday, February 09, 2010, 18:35