Avalanche

Personnel of the Army and a patrolling team of the Jammu and Kashmir administration are carrying out rescue and search operations

In its warning, JKDMA asked people living in these areas to take precautions and avoid venturing in the avalanche-prone areas

Snowfall across the Kashmir Valley affected normal life on Sunday with all flights cancelled at Srinagar airport, officials said. The plains of Kashmir saw moderate snowfall, while heavy snowfall has been reported in the higher reaches, they said. Authorities are clearing snow from roads so that vehicular movement is possible, they said. But traffic movement was slow as the roads are slippery. The snowfall has forced the cancellation of all inbound and outbound flights from Srinagar airport for the day. Authorities have issued avalanche warnings for hilly and mountainous areas of Kashmir, urging the residents to avoid unnecessary movement for the next 24 hours. The snowfall has resulted in a rise in the minimum temperatures but the day temperatures have fallen in most places of the valley. As per the MeT department forecast, the weather is expected to improve in Kashmir from Tuesday onwards. Qazigund town in south Kashmir was the warmest place on Saturday, recording a high of 3.

Rescuers evacuated tourists on Tuesday from a remote skiing area in northwestern China where dozens of avalanches triggered by heavy snow have trapped more than 1,000 people for a week, state media said. The avalanches have blocked roads, stranding both tourists and residents in a village in Altay prefecture in the Xinjiang region, close to China's border with Mongolia, Russia and Kazakhstan. Those injured were being airlifted out on a military helicopter while supplies such as food and fuel were being flown in. State broadcaster CCTV said a snow-blocked road linking Hemu village to major roads was cleared on Tuesday, enabling vehicles to enter and tourists to drive themselves out. Footage showed dozens of tourists dragging luggage over snow-covered areas toward a military helicopter, while a long line of outgoing cars was seen on the cleared road. State media cited the local highway administration as saying the avalanches affected 350 kilometres (220 miles) of roads. Road clearin

Neither has the Comptroller and Auditor General apparently conducted any audit ever to assess safety issues in such projects, satisfying itself with only checks on the money spent in the projects

Earlier, on Saturday, the Indian Meteorological Department issued a red alert for seven districts of the state and an orange alert for three districts over the next 48 hours

A woman pilgrim went missing on Sunday after an avalanche occurred near Atlakoti in Uttarakhand when a group of Sikh devotees was returning from Hemkund Sahib, officials said. Four other pilgrims caught in the avalanche on their way back from the Sikh shrine have been rescued, Chamoli District Disaster Management officer NK Joshi said. Relief and rescue operation is underway, he said.

Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) on Friday issued an avalanche warning for seven districts during the next 24 hours

This year has already seen an unfortunate share of avalanches and now JKDMA has warn for more in coming days; here's what to know about avalanches and safety measures that can be taken if one is stuck

The Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority on Thursday issued avalanche warnings in eight districts of the Union Territory, officials said. Avalanche with 'low' danger level is likely to occur above 2,400-3,200 metres over Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Ramban, Baramulla, Kupwara and Bandipora districts in the next 24 hours, the disaster management authority officials said. Avalanche with 'medium' danger level is likely to occur above 2,800 metres over the Ganderbal district, they said. People in these districts have been advised to take precautions and avoid venturing to avalanche-prone areas till further orders, they added. Many areas in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir received fresh snowfall while the plains were lashed by rain over the past three days.

A Sikkim government official Wednesday said it is now "almost certain" that no one is left strapped under the snow at 15th Mile, the site of the devastating avalanche and search operations by the Army and the Border Road teams have been called off. But helpline numbers will remain active for the time being to help tourists get information about their kin, Gangtok district collector Tushar Nikhare told reporters here. "We are almost certain that no more tourists are trapped under the snow near 15th Mile," Nikhare said. The Army, NDRF, ITBP, GREF, Sikkim Police and two personnel from Tiranga Mountain Rescue Team equipped with radars searched all possible areas near 15th Mile to find out any tourist lodged under the snow. But nobody was found there during the rescue and search operations that were carried out from 8AM to 3PM before being halted, the Gangtok DC said. The rescue teams used digging and trenching machines and other modern equipment to find people trapped under the debri

Sikkim's East District, which witnessed a massive avalanche that claimed several lives on Tuesday, ranks ninth in landslide density and risk exposure among all districts in the country. According to the Landslide Atlas of India, released by ISRO's Hyderabad-based National Remote Sensing Centre, Sikkim witnessed 1,561 landslides between 2011 and 2017, with most falling in the category of event-based landslides triggered by earthquakes or heavy rainfall. Sikkim's South District ranks eighth across the country in terms of landslide density and risk exposure. "Himalayas and Western Ghats are highly susceptible to mass movements due to hilly topography and heavy rainfall," the Landslide Atlas of India said. The findings emerged from the latest risk assessment done by scientists from NRSC, which published the list as part of the Landslide Atlas of India. The team released a list of 147 most landslide-vulnerable districts in 17 states and two Union Territories. The East District had been

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Six tourists were killed and 11 others injured in a major avalanche in Sikkim's Nathula area on Tuesday, police officials said here. The injured are being brought to the state capital Gangtok's hospital. "Rescue and clearance operations are still on," a senior police official here said. Nathula Pass is situated on the border with China and is a major tourist destination because of its scenic beauty.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Tuesday condoled the death of tourists in an avalanche in Sikkim and said the central government is closely monitoring the situation. At least seven tourists were killed as a massive avalanche hit Sikkim's Nathu La area on Tuesday morning, burying their vehicles under the snow. "My sincerest condolences to the families of those who have lost their lives in the tragic avalanche in Sikkim. We are closely monitoring the situation and the teams of NDRF will reach the affected area soon. I pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," Shah tweeted. The avalanche hit the arterial Jawaharlal Nehru Marg, which connects Gangtok to Nathu La at the China border around 11.30 am, trapping five-six vehicles with around 30 people under the snow, the Army said in a statement. Till 4 pm, seven bodies were brought out of the snow and 23 people were rescued alive, including six tourists from a deep valley, a state government official said, quoting reports from the

The Army on Monday assisted the civil administration in carrying out rescue and relief operations in Sonamarg area of Jammu and Kashmir after an avalanche left nine houses damaged, officials said. The avalanche hit Rezan village in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district on Sunday night. Besides damaging the houses, 14 domestic animals perished in the avalanche, they said. No human casualties have been reported in the incident. Troops of the 34 Assam Rifles assisted the district administration in rescue operation which was launched this morning. The residents were moved to safer places on Sunday evening soon after the avalanche struck.

Calling for providing assistances to the affected families, the official warned that overlooking the miseries of the disaster-affected families would lead to a tragedy in the ill-fated village

An avalanche occurred on a hill slope near the Vishnuprayag hydro electric project in Uttarakhand Sunday evening, officials said. There was no damage to life and property, Chamoli District Disaster Management Officer N K Joshi said on Monday, adding that such avalanches are normal in the Himalayas. A mass of snow slid down the mountainside close to the 420 MW hydel project's barrage site following the avalanche. The barrage is close to the Badrinath National Highway and a few hundred metres down the Khiron river, which is considered one of the most dangerous tributaries of the Alaknanda river.

Two labourers of Border Roads Organisation (BRO) were killed while another is missing after an avalanche hit them near Chika in the Lahaul subdivision of Lahaul-Spiti district on Sunday evening.

Nine people died in avalanches in Austria and Italy over the weekend as heavy snow and school holidays drew skiers into the Alps, with some of the victims dying after skiing in unmarked areas despite warnings of elevated avalanche risk, police said. On Sunday a snow plow driver in East Tirol in Austria was recovered dead after being swept away. In Oetztal a 32-year-old Chinese skier died, while in Zillertal a 17-year old male from New Zealand was buried and in Kleinwalsertal a 55-year-old German man missing since Friday was found dead. More than a dozen avalanches were reported in the Tirol region of Austria alone and authorities had set the warning level at four on a scale of five and urged caution. A 31-year-old German woman was killed on Saturday in the South Tirol region of Italy when a snowmass broke loose at 2,200 metres (7,200 feet) near the Limo Pass some 80 kilometres (50 miles) east of Bolzano, the dpa news agency reported. Rescue efforts were complicated by ...