Kupwara avalanche: Beacon official killed, 6 civilians go missing
Srinagar: A Project Beacon official died while as six civilians have gone missing after two avalanches hit Sadhna top in Tanghdar sector of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Friday.
In a first avalanche, two beacon officials came under a snow avalanche adjacent to Sadhna top. While one of them was injured, a sector commander of beacon was swept away and is missing, official sources said.
Sources identify the beacon officer as MP Singh of 109 RCC. However, army and police launched a rescue operation and the beacon officer, MP Singh of 109 RCC, was found under the snow and was straight away taken to MI (a mini military hospital) room Chowkibal. The doctors who attended upon him declared Singh as brought dead, an army official said.
In another avalanche hit, seven persons on board a Sumo vehicle bearing registration number JK09A- 3249, were buried under snow when the vehicle they were travelling in came under an avalanche at Khoni Nallah near Sadhna Top.
The driver Zahoor Ahmad Khan s/o Maqsood Ahmad Khan r/o Chetarkote, Karnah, jumped in the nick of time while as the vehicle was swept away by the avalanche, taking with it the six persons travelling in it.
Sources said that there are no traces of vehicle so far even as administration has launched search operation to trace out the missing.
SSP Kupwara Shamsheer Hussain confirmed the incidents, saying that a special rescue team has been deputed to the area soon after they received the information about the avalanches. He said that a seven year old boy has been rescued who was also travelling in the vehicle.
“We are trying our level best to rescue the missing even as fresh snowfall has started in the area which is hampering the operation,” he added.
KV Correspondent
