Five cops among 7 dead in Kulgam avalanche

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, February 8

The bodies of seven persons, including five policemen, who were buried under a snow avalanche that hit a police post near Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district, were recovered on Friday.

A police official said two policemen had been rescued while efforts were on to find the missing policeman.

“Seven bodies, including those of five policemen, have been recovered from the avalanche site at Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam. Two policemen rescued thismorning are stable while one is still missing,” the official added.

On Thursday evening, a heavy snow avalanche hit a police post near the Jawahar Tunnel, under which the post along with a building of the fire services department was buried. Earlier, the officials had said 10 policemen were missing but on Friday, they clarified it was eight policemen and two prisoners.

A rescue operation was immediately launched and the teams struggled to reach near the spot due to the accumulation of 4-foot snow in the area. After strenuous efforts, the officials said, they succeeded in reaching the site and two policemen were rescued, who were undergoing treatment.

“There was more than 4-foot snow along the tunnel. The heavy avalanche buried the entire police post. A massive rescue operation is going on. Unfortunately, seven have died,” said Muhammad Younis, Anantnag Deputy Commissioner.

In Kishtwar district, a boy was buried alive after a massive avalanche hit the area on Thursday night. The deceased has been identified as Karan Singh (13) of the Drubeel area of Kishtwar. After hours-long rescue operation, the body of the boy was retrieved by the Army and police at 3.10 pm on Friday.

Meanwhile, two persons, including an assistant accounts officer, were killed in a landslide on the Jammu-Srinagar highway in Ramban district on Friday, officials said. The incident took place when the victims were crossing a landslide-prone zone on foot in the Maroog area, they added.

The deceased have been identified as assistant accounts officer Pramod Mankotia of Himachal Pradesh and Sanjit Lakara of West Bengal.

The bodies have been shifted to the Ramban District Hospital for further formalities, the official added.

Heavy snowfall across Kashmir over the past two days has triggered avalanches at many places in the hilly areas. The authorities have issued an avalanche warning for 16 districts in the state.

With inputs from PTI