SRINAGAR: At least seven people were killed and five others injured after multiple passenger vehicles were hit by a snow avalanche at Zojila Pass on the Srinagar–Leh highway on Friday.
A senior police official said around four passenger vehicles moving along the pass were caught in the avalanche at approximately 2.45 pm. The vehicles were buried under snow, prompting authorities to launch a rescue operation.
Rescue teams reached the spot and waded through deep snow to retrieve victims from the debris. “Bodies of seven persons were recovered, while five injured were also pulled out and shifted to a hospital in Drass,” the official said.
There were unconfirmed reports of two persons missing. “It is not yet clear whether they have crossed the Drass side,” the official added.
Lt Governor Ladakh Vinai Kumar Saxena said he has directed the Deputy Commissioner and SSP of Kargil to reach the site and oversee relief efforts.
“All government agencies, including disaster relief forces and BRO, have been put on high alert,” he said in a post on 'X', adding that he is personally monitoring the situation.