10 policemen trapped as avalanche strikes Kashmir's Kulgam district

[Kool_SRG]

The avalanche hit the north portal of Jawahar Tunnel on the Qazigund side. While 10 policemen posted at the post near the tunnel were reported safe, 10 others are believed to be trapped.

t least 10 policemen were feared trapped inside their post after a avalanche struck Kulgam district near the Jawahar Tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu National Highway on Thursday evening, police said.

The avalanche hit the Jawahar Tunnel on the Qazigund side, a police official said.

 

While 10 policemen posted at the post near the tunnel were reported safe, 10 others are believed to be trapped, he said.

"Police rescue teams and other concerned agencies have been rushed to the site," he added.

Kashmir valley has been witnessing heavy snowfall since Wednesday with Kulgam district in south Kashmir receiving maximum precipitation in the last 24 hours. Some places in the district have received as much as five feet snow, officials said.

The Snow and Avalanche Studies Establishment has issued an avalanche warning of varying degrees to 16 of the 22 districts in Jammu and Kashmir for the next 24 hours.

High danger avalanche warning has been issued to Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam and Kupwara districts in the valley, while medium danger warning was issued to Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Leh districts.

A low danger warning was issued for Kargil district.

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Jammu and Kashmir receives season's heaviest snowfall, couple killed in avalanche; air traffic disrupted

Jammu and Kashmir snowfall news: Pahalgam recorded minus 4.3 degrees Celsius and Gulmarg minus 7.5. In Ladakh, Leh recorded minus 6.5, Kargil minus 16.6 and Drass minus 9.4 degrees

Srinagar: Two persons were killed, while 10 others went missing and hundreds remained stranded on Friday due to the heaviest spell of snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir so far. A couple was killed while their two children were rescued after an avalanche destroyed their home in Kokernag area of Anantnag district late on Thursday.

Six policemen, two Fire and Emergency Services personnel and two prisoners went missing after another avalanche hit a police post near the Jawahar Tunnel on the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. Relief and rescue efforts on Friday have traced one of the missing, police said.

Multiple avalanches occurred at many other places in the Kashmir Valley, however, due to lack of communication and connectivity the extent of casualties or damage, if any, was not yet clear. Authorities have shifted 78 families from avalanche-prone areas of Waltangoo Nar and Kund in Kulgam district to safer places.

Seven families were shifted to the Khag police station after an avalanche hit their village in central Badgam district. Another, 20 families were shifted to safer places from Ganderbal.

Reports of seven to eight feet of fresh snowfall in the higher reaches and one to two feet in the plains in the past 24 hours indicate that this has been the heaviest snowfall of the season so far. Hundreds of people were stranded in Jammu as the Jammu-Srinagar highway was shut for the third consecutive day after multiple avalanches and landslides hit various stretches of the 300-km long road.

Hundreds of Kashmiris were reported to be stranded in Delhi as flight operations remained disrupted since Wednesday and were completely closed at the Srinagar international airport on Thursday. Morning flights could not operate to and from the Srinagar airport but operations were likely to resume shortly as the weather has improved significantly. Electric power supply, water supply and road connectivity was also severely affected in the state.

Senior engineers of the electricity department said they supplied 850 megawatts of power to the valley on Thursday against the usual 1,200 megawatt requirement. Despite these figures, most areas in the Valley and also some in Srinagar city remained without electric supply during the last 36 hours.

Water supply in areas where electricity is needed to operate drinking water plants has also remained adversely affected. Roads in Srinagar and those connecting different district headquarters have remained partially closed since Thursday. 

Restoration of all road links in Srinagar city and inter district road connectivity was expected to be completed by afternoon. Availability of essential commodities including food items and petroleum products has been hit by continued closure of the strategic Janmu-Srinagar highway through which all essentials supplies are routed into the landlocked valley.

Mutton, poultry products and vegetables have vanished from markets in Srinagar city and other places. Alarmed by depleting stocks of petroleum products, local administration has ordered rationing of petrol and diesel till the supply position improves.

This season's snowfall has dispelled fears of water shortage in rivers, lakes, streams and springs during the coming summer months. At the same time, the vagaries of nature have also taken their toll causing serious hardships to the people.

[Kool_SRG]

Avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir: 2 policemen rescued, 8 still trapped in Kulgam’s Jawahar Tunnel

Avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir: Avalanche occurred near the police post in Jawahar Tunnel area in Kulgam district on Friday. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 2 persons have been rescued from the avalanche site and one of them is in critical condition.

Avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir: Search operations are still underway to rescue the 10 policemen who were trapped inside their post after an avalanche hit the north portal of Jawahar Tunnel on the Qazigund side in Kulgam district on Thursday evening. The rescue operation is jointly carried out by the Jammu and Kashmir police, army and the locals, reports said. However, strong wind and accumulation of snow on the path are making it difficult for the teams to reach the site. Ten others are said to be safe.

The missing people include six policemen, two fire service personnel and two prisoners. Currently, security personnel have closed the 300 km-long road for the third consecutive day due to heavy snowfall and landslides. According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, 2 persons have been rescued from the avalanche site and one of them is in critical condition.

The MET office has issued a high danger avalanche warning to Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Budgam, Ganderbal, Kulgam, and Kupwara districts in the Valley after higher reaches of Rajouri district in Jammu and Kashmir received heavy snowfall on Thursday. Similarly, authorities issued medium danger warning to Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur and Leh districts.

Meanwhile, the snow-clearance operation is underway after heavy snowfall in Himachal Pradesh’s Shimla district.

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Jammu and Kashmir: Two persons have been rescued from near the police post in Jawahar Tunnel area in Kulgam district where an avalanche took place earlier today. One of them is in critical condition.

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Rescue team near the avalanche site.