Avalanche in Zojila Pass buries many cars, killing 7 people

SRINAGAR: At least seven people were killed and five others injured when an avalanche occurred at Point Zero of the Zojila Pass in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, 70 kilometers north of Srinagar. Several vehicles were buried under the snow.A senior police officer said the vehicles were traveling from Srinagar to Kargil when the avalanche occurred around 3 pm on Friday. Police and rescue workers used the JCB to clear snow and rescue trapped passengers, including five injured. Rescuers recovered seven bodies, but until last reports came in, two people were still missing. All seven of the deceased were residents of Ladakh’s Kargil district, an official said.Senior officials of the Ladakh Autonomous Region, including Mohd Jaffer Akhoon, executive member of the Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council, rushed to the scene after receiving the information.The Zojila pass was earlier set to remain closed for nearly five months during the winter, cutting off Ladakh from the rest of the country. However, thanks to improved technology, advanced snow removal equipment and better planning, the pass remained open throughout the winter (except for four days), which the Border Roads Group said was a major strategic and logistical achievement.