2 died under snow avalanche in Kashmir, no trace of Norwegian skier

Srinagar Jan 16 (UNI) Two villagers were killed when they were buried alive under a huge snow avalanche in south Kashmir, official sources said today.

With this a total of about 20 people, including soldiers and porters, have lost their lives in snow storm and avalanches in the valley.

There was no trace of Norwegian woman skier, soldiers and porters, who were missing after they were caught in the snow storm.

The said Mushtaq Ahmad Khan and Fareed Khan were moving in the woods at Lachan Top, in Anantnag district of south Kashmir, when a huge snow avalanche came down rolling from a hill top.

Both of them were buried under the avalanche, they said adding the rescue teams from nearby areas have been rushed to the spot to recover the bodies.

Meanwhile, success eludes the rescue parties to recover the bodies of soldiers and civilian porters, who were buried alive under huge avalanche of snow in Uri sector on January 8.

The rescue operation was hampered due to fresh snowfall and bad weather in the entire north Kashmir, sources said.

Relatives of civilian porters, taken to an army post near the incident area, are still there as no fresh rescue operation could be taken because of fresh snowfall, they added.

The defence authorities have announced Rs one lakh ex-gratia while the state Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad said the state will pay Rs 50,000 to the next of kin of each porter.

There was still no trace of Norwegian woman skier, who went missing in Gulmarg on January 8.

UNI BAS BDP KP1452