Avalanche in Gulmarg kills 1 person

A huge avalanche trapped three skiers and claimed the life of a local guide named Bashir Ahmad Bakshi of Tangmarg, in a ski resort of Gulmarg on Wednesday. Prompt rescue operation saved the lives of the three skiers, according to police reports.

Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir is a major tourist attraction and a popular destination for winter games in Kashmir.

This is the second death of the season at the famous ski resort due to a huge avalanche which hit the Affarwath heights of Gulmarg. On January 24, a Swiss national died while five of his associates were rescued when an avalanche hit the resort between Kongdoori and Afferwath.

Avalanches are very common in the winter season, particularly in Jammu and Kashmir. However, this year the state hardly received winter rain or snowfall till the end of January. The first 5 days of February witnessed the first spell of good snowfall in the Srinagar valley, which otherwise experiences a white Christmas or New Year. Unlike popular hill stations in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, middle and lower reaches of Jammu and Kashmir remained practically dry till mid-January.

Heavy snowfall generally culminates into avalanches when temperatures shoot up and the snow packs loses its hold. Avalanches can lead to catastrophic events as they come without warning.

Above normal temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir can be blamed for the recent avalanche in Gulmarg. At present, maximum in Gulmarg is 4 degrees above normal at 5°C.

A fresh Western Disturbance will bring another spell of snowfall in the state by February 15 and good amounts of snow are likely on the 18^th and 19^th of February in the Kashmir valley.