Kupwara, January 05: An avalanche in Kashmir's Kupwara district on Friday afternoon swept a passenger vehicle SUV with passenger on board.
Teams of Jammu and Kashmir police, Army, SDRF and Mountain Rescue have launched a massive search operation but fog and darkness are hampering the process.
The incident took place near the Khooni Nallah area on the Kupwara-Tangdhar road, a police official said.
A search and rescue operation was launched but a bad weather was hampering the process, the official said.
An avalanche also hit the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) personnel in the Project Beacon area.
Authorities involved in rescue and relief operation confirmed that they have recovered two bodies so far, including one of a 10-year-old boy.
At least two persons were killed and five are missing after vehicle in which they were travelling was hit by a huge avalanche of snow on the Kupwara-Tangdhar road in Jammu and Kashmir today.
“We have retrieved the body of a 10-year-old boy, Sulaiman, and the cab driver Zahoor Ahmad,” said a police officer.
Deputy commissioner Khalid Jehangir said that the passengers were on their way from Kupwara to Karnah in a cab when their vehicle came under the avalanche around 4pm.
Inclement weather hampered the search and rescue operations, he said, adding that the relief work will resume tomorrow morning.
The 70km long only surface link, which connects Karnah with Kupwara, usually remains closed in winters due to heavy snowfall
The state has been witnessing intense cold wave conditions from last few days. According to the weather department, light rain or snow at isolated places over the next 48 hours may add to the discomfiture.
