Weather conditions in the Kashmir valley have been wreaking havoc over life and property.
Heavy rain and snow had been disrupting the lives of the residents of Jammu and Kashmir. So much so that due to heavy rainfall and snow, a series of avalanches had hit the Kashmir valley.
These avalanches hit the army post in Gurez sector claiming lives of several soldiers including a major. While the death toll was 10 until yesterday, four more bodies have been recovered today due to which the number has risen to 14. All these men belonged to the 51 Rashtriya Rifles.
The rescue teams are on their way doing the best they can, however, due to bad weather, the progress continues to be slow.
Last year, an avalanche had hit the Siachen Glacier where at least ten soldiers had lost their lives. Now, the weather conditions are expected to clear up as the Western Disturbance is moving away.
Jammu and Kashmir Avalanche kills 6 army personnel
An active Western Disturbance has been resulting in heavy rain and snow in several parts of Jammu and Kashmir for the past few days. The intensity of both rain and snow has increased significantly during the last 24 hours.
So much so that a series of avalanches have occurred in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. An avalanche had hit an Army camp in Gurez Sector in Jammu and Kashmir. Due to this, at least six army personnel including a Major have lost their lives. Also, six have been rescued.
Several avalanches had hit the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 150 people were rescued as rescue operations commenced immediately.
During the next 24 hours, moderate to heavy rain and snow will continue over the hills of North India. The possibility of avalanches in the higher reaches cannot be ruled out.
Heavy snowfall in Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the Western Himalayas has resulted in an avalanche. The avalanche hit an army base camp in Sonamarg, Jammu and Kashmir region. The body of a jawan has also been recovered following the avalanche.
As per sources from the Indian Army, the death toll is expected to rise even further. Skymet Weather had already provided an alert regarding the possibility of avalanches in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir and adjoining areas.
#UPDATE: Avalanche hits army camp in Sonamarg (J&K), body of a jawan recovered. Army sources say death toll could rise
— ANI (@ANI_news) January 25, 2017
These weather conditions are attributed to the presence of a very active Western Disturbance which has been resulting in heavy rain and snow over the hilly states of North India.
It is not the first avalanche that has hit the Jammu and Kashmir region in the last 24 hours. In fact, another avalanche was observed last night in Budugam in Gurez sector in the Bandipora district last night due to which at least four people were buried alive. Rescue teams had rushed to the area, as per reports.
As per Skymet Weather, heavy to very heavy rainfall along with snow is expected to continue during the next 24 hours as well. In fact, the possibility of avalanches during the above-mentioned period also cannot be ruled out.
Image Credit: dailyexcelsior.com
Please Note: Any information picked from here must be attributed to skymetweather.com
