SRINAGAR: Eleven people were killed and three persons, including an eight-year-old child, were rescued after the vehicle in which they were travelling was caught in an avalanche in a north Kashmir border area, Deputy Commissioner Kupwara Khalid Jehangir said on Saturday.
The avalanche occurred on Friday evening at the 3,000-metre Sadhna Pass in Tangdhar region in Kupwara district.
“Eleven bodies have been recovered by rescue teams. The dead include an engineer of the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) and eight locals,” a police officer said. The BRO engineer was identified as Mangla Prasad Singh.
Sadhna Pass, which mostly remains closed for six months in winters, connects Kupwara with the border town of Karnah. Rescue operations at the pass overlooking treacherous roads are extremely difficult due to sub-zero temperatures.
Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti expressed grief over the incident and directed the Kupwara district administration to ensure all possible medical assistance to the injured.
The government announced a compensation of `4 lakh each to the next of kin of those killed in the avalanche.