Avalanche in Kashmir's Gulmarg leaves one foreigner dead; several feared trapped

An avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg left one foreigner dead and several others are feared to be trapped. The avalanche struck the Kongdoori slopes, trapping several skiers.

Srinagar: In an unfortunate incident, an avalanche hit Jammu and Kashmir's Gulmarg on Thursday leaving one foreigner dead and one missing. According to officials, the avalanche was recorded around 2 pm along the Khilanmarg area on Thursday and struck the Kongdoori slopes, trapping several skiers. The deceased is a Russian skier, as per reports. Choppers were mobilized for search and rescue efforts.

At the same time, five other skiers were rescued and are undergoing treatment in a local hospital. According to reports, the foreigners had gone to the ski slopes without residents. The Army and a patrolling team of the Jammu and Kashmir administration are conducting a rescue-cum-search operations in the region. 

A snowmobile, usually used by thrill-seekers in Gulmarg, is stuck on the hillside under the avalanche's snowy aftermath. With the heavy snowfall that Kashmir has had over the past three days, there is a greater chance of avalanches in the valley's steep and mountainous regions.

The J&K disaster management authority issued a new avalanche warning for the Union territory's ten districts on Wednesday. Within the next twenty-four hours, the districts of Bandipora and Baramulla districts received a medium-level avalanche warning, while Anantnag and Kulgam received a low-danger level warning.