Two securitymen and a civilian were killed and 10 others injured as snowfall and rains triggered fresh avalanches and landslides in Kashmir valley today, raising the death toll to 20 in two days.
An avalanche buried an army post in a forward area in Tangdhar sector, 145 kms from here in Kupwara district, around 0345 hours trapping 14 jawans. Though all of them were taken out of snow, one died later, a defence spokesman said.
In a separate incident, due to heavy snowfall a tree fell on a barrack of 26th Battalion SF in Nowgam sector, also in Kupwara, leaving three personnel injured.
They were shifted to district hospital, Baramulla where one of them identified as constable Aslam Din died, a police spokesman said. The condition of two others -- head constable Davinder Singh and constable Sajad Ali -- was stated to be "serious".
A civilian Mohammad Yousuf was killed and five members of his family were injured when a landslide struck their house at Nowaranda in Uri sector, 100 kms from here, the police spokesman said.
Besides, an army jawan and a civilian identified as Ghulam Qadir Rather were injured as falling stones from a hillock hit them at Saidpora bridge in Uri.
In another incident of landslide, Ghulam Mohammad Ahangar, a teacher, was injured at Garkote-Uri. Four houses were also damaged in the sector.
A massive avalanche had slammed the popular ski resort of Gulmarg yesterday killing 17 soldiers and injuring an equal number when the tragedy struck troops during winter warfare training on steep slopes, about 70km from here.
The avalanche came hurtling down on the 60-strong combat team as they were scaling the icy walls of high-altitude Khilanmarg peak in near-zero visibility.
About the tragedy involving men from the high-altitude warfare school, Army spokesman J S Brar told PTI that bodies could not be brought to Srinagar due to bad weather and closure of road in Gulmarg.
Weather was hostile in Gulmarg and its periphery due to continuous heavy snowfall, which left a heavy accumulation of snow on the road to Gulmarg. The condition of 17 injured soldiers was stable, he said.
The high altitude areas of the valley have been receiving heavy snowfall since February 5, while the plains including Srinagar were lashed by incessant rains and snow.
