Zojila Pass Avalanche: 7 killed as avalanche buries several vehicles at Zojila Pass | India News
SRINAGAR: At least seven people were killed and five others injured when several vehicles were buried under snow in an avalanche at Zojila Pass, zero point in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, about 70 km north of Srinagar.A senior police official said the vehicles were traveling from Srinagar towards Kargil around 3 pm on Friday when the avalanche hit. Police and rescue teams used JCBs to clear the snow and rescue the trapped passengers, five of whom were injured. Rescuers recovered seven bodies, and two people were still missing at last report. All seven of the dead hailed from Ladakh’s Kargil district, an official said.Senior officials of Ladakh, including Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Mohammad Zafar Akhun, reached the spot after receiving the news.The Zojila Pass would remain closed for nearly five months during the winter, cutting off Ladakh from the rest of the country. However, with improved technology, improved snow-clearance equipment and better planning, the pass remained open this winter, except for four days, which the Border Roads Agency described as a significant strategic and logistical success.
