New Delhi: A Russian skier was killed while six others were rescued on Thursday (February 22) when an avalanche struck Mt Afarwat in the upper reaches of north Kashmir’s Gulmarg ski resort.
According to officials, seven skiers from Russia had planned a routine adventure run in Khilanmarg area of Gulmarg when an avalanche struck the area on Thursday afternoon, burying all of them along with a local guide.
“The area is prone to avalanches, and skiers go there on their own risk,” an official said.
Soon after the news of the tragedy reached the Gulmarg Ski Patrol, which is responsible for managing sports activities on the slopes of the north Kashmir ski resort, a rescue team was rushed to the area and helicopters were also deployed to help in the search operation.
“A collaborative effort between the Gulmarg Ski Patrol, J&K Police and other state agencies resulted in the successful rescue of the group as well as one local guide,” an official said in a statement.
The slain skier has been identified as Hanten, a resident of Moscow. “The body has been taken to the Tangmarg sub-district hospital for post-mortem,” PTI quoted a local police officer as saying.
“The Embassy of Russia in India maintains constant contact with the local authorities. The avalanche was triggered by the heavy snowfall observed in the region since February 17. On February 21, a medium danger level avalanche warning was issued for Baramulla district, J&K,” said a Russian embassy spokesperson.
Visuals from the scene of a slope on Mt Afarwat, which was hit by the avalanche, showed a private chopper landing near tall mounds of snow. The local guide remained missing for some time but he was rescued later.
The fourth edition of Khelo India Games or National Winter Games, which were inaugurated in Gulmarg on Wednesday, were not affected by the avalanche, officials said. The games are expected to continue till February 25.
Former chief minister Omar Abdullah was also in Gulmarg when the tragedy happened and he posted about the incident on X, formerly Twitter.
“It appears the skiers were skiing off the piste or groomed slopes in the ‘back country’. Days like today remind us that while the skiing is fun, the fresh powder exhilarating & the visuals spectacular, skiing is not without its dangers & risk to lives. Praying that all the missing skiers are found alive & the reports of a casualty end up being unfounded.”
Cricketing legend Sachin Tendulkar, who is on a visit to Kashmir, was also on the way to Gulmarg which has recorded a bumper snowfall this week after a prolonged spell of dry weather.
The snow has brought cheer for the hotel industry and other local stakeholders. After the bumper snowfall earlier this week, there have been frequent traffic jams on Gulmarg-Tangmarg road due to the heavy influx of domestic and foreign tourists.
“Nearly all the hotels in Gulmarg are full and we are expecting the trend to continue for another two-three weeks,” a tourism official said.
Following the heavy snowfall in the higher reaches of Kashmir this week, officials have been issuing avalanche warnings on a daily basis. A massive avalanche struck Sonamarg health resort in central Kashmir earlier this month but there were no fatalities.
This is not the first time that skiers have faced the wrath of deadly avalanches in Gulmarg. In February last year, two Polish skiers were killed and over a dozen were rescued when an avalanche struck the ‘backcountry’ in the higher reaches of Gulmarg.
In recent memory, the worst snow tragedy in Gulmarg took place in 2010 when at least 17 Army soldiers were buried under an avalanche that hit the Army’s High Altitude Warfare School.