Season's heaviest snowfall hits life in Kashmir

Srinagar: Scores of houses across the Kashmir valley have collapsed and normal life remained crippled on Thursday as the season's heaviest snowfall kept the Srinagar-Jammu national highway closed for the fourth consecutive day.

"Dozens of people have been injured in these house collapse incidents, but luckily no death has been reported from anywhere so far," a senior police officer said here.

Due to heavy snowfall in the valley, many houses collapsed in Srinagar, Anantnag, Shopian, Kulgam and Ganderbal districts.

Reports reaching here from the Kupwara border district said seven troopers were trapped as heavy snowfall buried their bunker on the Line of Control in the Nagam sector.

Efforts are on to rescue the trapped troopers, sources said.

An avalanche in Harigam village of Kulgam district swept away four houses, but fortunately all the residents had fled the village before the disaster struck.

The strategic Srinagar-Jammu highway remained closed for the fourth consecutive day yesterday as nearly nine feet of snow had accumulated at the Jawahar Tunnel area of the road.

"Some 1,200 vehicles are stranded at various safe places on the highway as heavy snowfall and landslides are hampering the road restoration efforts," said an official of the traffic department.

The only road linking the Kashmir valley with the rest of the country in winter was closed on Monday.

All incoming flights to Srinagar had to be cancelled for the third consecutive day on Wednesday as bad weather and poor visibility closed the valley's only civilian airport near the summer capital.

Red alert

A red alert has been sounded across the valley and all the district magistrates have been instructed to remain stationed at the disaster management control rooms set up at all district headquarters.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad, who is presently in winter capital Jammu, has instructed administrations in the valley to ensure road clearance operations and electric supply.

"The civil authorities have been asked to seek help from the security forces if need arises to organise relief and rescue operations," said an official of the chief minister's office.