SRINAGAR: Fresh snowfall threw life out of gear and disrupted flight operations at Srinagar airport while a student stranded in Uttarakhand’s Uttarkashi district died due to extreme cold.
The student was part of a group of seven from the Industrial Training Institute, Barkot, who were caught in heavy snowfall. In Shimla, a man died after skidding on a slippery road, while another person died while clearing snow in the capital of Himachal Pradesh.
Snowfall affected flight operations at Srinagar airport as no flight was able to land till about noon. IndiGo cancelled all flights to and fro Srinagar for the day, an official said.
According to a MET official, while the plains received light to moderate snowfall, the higher reaches of the valley and Jammu and Ladakh regions experienced heavy snowfall.
Srinagar city recorded two cm of snow till 8:30 AM, while Pahalgam tourist resort in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district recorded nine cm, he said.
Light snowfall and rain were reported in some parts of Himachal Pradesh in the last 24 hours.
The meteorological department has issued an orange and yellow warning for Monday and Thursday of heavy rain and snowfall. Local residents and tourists were advised to not travel up to the higher reaches and snowbound areas of Kullu district.