Avalanche Hits J&K's Gulmarg: 1 Dead, Several Trapped

A foreign skier was killed after an avalanche hit Afarwat area of Gulmarg on Thursday around 2 pm.

One foreigner died and another was missing as an avalanche struck the ski slopes of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, PTI reported citing officials. Five skiers were rescued and are being treated in a local hospital.

"Tragically, one among them is dead, one injured, and one still remains missing," ANI quoted DDMA Baramulla in a tweet.

The avalanche struck the Kongdoori slopes, trapping several skiers, the officials said. The foreigners had gone to the ski slopes without local residents, officials informed the news agency.

This week, Gulmarg received approximately 5 feet (1.5 meters) of snowfall, prompting authorities to issue an avalanche warning for the area.

It has to be noted that the the fourth 'Khelo India' snow sports event will be inaugurated at Gulmarg Ski Resort, today.

The ski resort of Gulmarg in Baramulla district is hosting the third edition of Khelo India National Winter Games.

This year, around 2000 athletes from different parts of the country will converge in Gulmarg to compete in different sports.

The Army personnel and a patrolling team from the Jammu and Kashmir administration are conducting rescue and search operations.

Footage following the avalanche reveals stranded tourists in knee-deep snow, with a civilian helicopter hovering overhead. A snowmobile, commonly used for adventure sports in Gulmarg, is trapped in the snow on the slope engulfed by the avalanche.

As the news of the avalanche spread on social media, a video of former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah skiing in Gulmarg on Wednesday goes viral.

The snow-capped mountains of the Himalayan region in Kashmir attract many winter sports enthusiasts, yet the area has witnessed numerous avalanche-related incidents in the past.

In February of the previous year, an avalanche in the Gulmarg region claimed the lives of two Polish skiers while 19 others were rescued.

Also, a video of legendary cricketer Sachin Tendulkar playing gully cricket in Jammu and Kashmir has now gone viral.