Thaindian News

Srinagar, Feb 23 (IANS) Nine army troopers were killed in two avalanche tragedies in north Kashmir’s Bandipora and Ganderbal districts.”A massive avalanche struck the brigade headquarters of the army in Dawar village of Gurez subdivision of Bandipora district during the night,” Lt. Col. J.S. Brar, spokesperson of the army’s Srinagar-based 15 Corps told IANS.

“So far, six bodies have been recovered from the avalanche debris. The toll is feared to rise as more troopers are believed to be under the avalanche,” he said.

“In another similar incident, three troopers of the army were killed in Sonamarg (Ganderbal) when another avalanche hit an army camp there,” he said.

A third avalanche has destroyed over a dozen hutments in Ramwari area of Ganerbal district during the night but no loss of life occurred in the incident.

The area is inhabited by nomadic goatherds during the summer as they take their flock of sheep and goats for grazing.

Only last wek, a major disaster was averted in Ganderbal district as a massive avalanche blocked the passage of water in the Sindh stream that flows to the middle of Sonamarg tourist resort.

As the authorities prepared for controlled blasting of the avalanche with the army’s help to avoid glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF) which could cause a major disaster in the low lying areas of Ganderbal district, accumulated water finally managed to find its way cutting through the avalanche.