A 26-year-old man died while three others had a narrow escape after a snow avalanche hit the avalanche-prone area of Machil in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday afternoon.
According to reports, around ten people were walking on the spot when the snow slide hit them in the area; among them, three had a narrow escape while one, Aijaz Ahmad Tantray, son of Ghulam Hassan Tantray and resident of Ringbala, Machil, was buried under the slow slide.
Soon after the incident, a massive operation was launched by the local police and Army; however, they couldn’t get the success they needed to save the 26-year-old man.
After hours of rescue operations, the body of Aijaz was retrieved from the spot and handed over to his legal heirs after a proper medical procedure.
It is important to note here that no avalanche warning has been issued by the authorities in the last five days.
Kashmir witnessed many avalanches in the ensuing month, and thousands of people have been relocated and rescued from the avalanche-prone areas, while six people have lost their lives so far this year.
The Kashmir region, particularly the upper reaches, experienced the greatest snowfall this season. Ganderbal in Central Kashmir and Kupwara in North Kashmir both received almost six feet of snow, which caused severe challenges for the inhabitants living there.
Two labourers employed on the Zojila tunnel perished in four avalanches that occurred in the Sonamarg area of the Ganderbal district in a single week. The Sonamarg tunnel site has seen the relocation of around 1100 individuals, while 172 were rescued by the Indian army and local administration after an avalanche hit the project camp for the Zojila Tunnel.
The 10 districts of the Union Territories routinely receive avalanche warnings from the government of Jammu and Kashmir. Higher-elevation residents have been urged to maintain their vigilance.
Moreover, Jammu and Kashmir, along with Ladakh, have been placed on high alert due to the snow buildup and forecast. In order to respond to any unexpected situations in these locations, the rescue teams have been kept on standby.
