J&K: 6 passengers, driver, swept away by avalanche in Kupwara district

Srinagar: Six people went missing after a snow avalanche swept the vehicle they were travelling in along Sadhna Top mountain pass close to the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmir’s north-western Kupwara district on Friday afternoon.

The officials said that rescue operation was quickly launched jointly by the Army and the J&K police with the help of the locals.

“There were seven people on board. While one of them, a child, was found unharmed near the site where the avalanche hit Sumo cab, six other passengers including driver are missing,” a police official said.

Sadhna Top is the peak of Sadhna Pass, a mountain pass located in the vast Shams Bari mountainous range and connects Karnah tehsil of Kupwara with the rest of Jammu and Kashmir. The entire 52-km Chowkibal – Karnah road which passes through elevations of about 3,200 metre is avalanche- prone.

Parts of Kashmir Valley on Thursday night started receiving fresh snow and rains and an official warning against venturing out in some of the areas in the higher reaches stands valid for next couple of days.

The Weatherman has predicted rains in and around summer capital Srinagar which has been reeling under freezing temperatures for the past several weeks and more snow at ski resort of Gulmarg and also at Pahalgam and several other places.

Kargil in Ladakh had recorded minus 20 degree Celsius on Thursday night, the lowest, so far, this winter.   

In the second week of December five soldiers were killed following heavy snowfall along the LoC in Kupwara and Bandipore districts.