17 soldiers killed in avalanche at Gulmarg
17 injured among 53 rescued amid heavy snowfall, choppers fail to land

AHMED ALI FAYYAZ

SRINAGAR, Feb 8: Seventeen soldiers of different units of the Indian Army were buried alive under a massive avalanche on the alpine slopes of Khilanmarg, in the world famous winter sports hub of Gulmarg, even as the armed forces’ rescue helicopters and the state government’s ambulances failed to reach the spot due to heavy snowfall. As many as 53 soldiers have been rescued and 17 among them have sustained injuries of varying intensity.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, North Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Manhas, told Early Times while returning to his Baramulla office from Gulmarg late this evening that Gulmarg-based High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) of Army had started a basic training course of nine weeks which was scheduled to run from December 26, 2009, to March 01, 2010, at Khilanmarg. Over 400 jawans associated with the HAWS training programme had left their base camp of Gulmarg at 0830 hours and had reached the Skiing course spot of Gujjar Huts in over an hour. They included 301 trainees (39 officers, 10 Junior Commissioned Officers and 252 jawans) and 100 trainers.

While a group of 70 trainees were sipping tea before starting the skiing session in a shed at 1015 hours, a massive avalanche came rolling over the slopes hitting a side of the structure. Others of the party radioed SOS to different units of Army in the area, HAWS headquarters at Gulmarg and Police and launched the rescue operation. Before and after being joined by Police and troops, HAWS soldiers recovered dead bodies of 17 of their colleagues, mostly trainee soldiers. In seven-hour-long operation, they evacuated remaining 53 members of the unit. Seventeen of them were found to have sustained injuries of varying intensity. Four of them seemed to be critical.

DIG Manhas said that all the 17 injured and 53 others of the affected party were carried down to the HAWS headquarters and admitted to the MI Room of the formation. They were under the treatment of Army and civil doctors even as efforts were underway to airlift four of the critically injured soldiers to Army’s 92 Base Hospital in Srinagar. He said that the armed forces’ helicopters and rescue ambulances of the state government could not operate and land in Gulmarg due to continuous and heavy snowfall. Accumulation of 5 to 7 ft had been reported from different points of Gulmarg-Khilanmarg belt till 2100 hours tonight. Mr Manhas claimed that after recovery of the bodies of two missing soldiers, nobody of the party was unaccounted or missing. He said that none of the officers or JCOs had died and those killed in the avalanche included Lieutenant Prateek of 11-Grenadiers. All the dead bodies had reached the HAWS base camp at Gulmarg by 1800 hours this evening.

Meanwhile, official sources said that Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who was camping in Srinagar to review law and order and the weather hostility after reaching here at 1600 hours, directed Director Health Services, Kashmir, Dr Abdul Hamid Wani, to carry a team of civil doctors to Gulmarg and provide best possible medical treatment to the injured soldiers. Later, Wani led a team of doctors and paramedical staff that succeeded to reach Gulmarg late this evening.

On Chief Minister’s instructions, Minister of State for Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani, also reached Gulmarg this evening alongwith DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed, and officials from Department of Tourism. Sources said that even the operation of ambulances on the 13 Km Tangmarg-Gulmarg Road became impossible as surface of the motorway became dangerously slippery due to fast falling temperature in the evening inspite of four snow-cutters operating round-the-clock.

Sources said it was also being investigated as to why the HAWS party had set off for the risky training mission, notwithstanding repeated warnings against such venturing in Gulmarg, Khilanmarg, Apharwat and other high altitude snow-clad areas in Kashmir Valley from Snow Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) and Directorate of Meteorology Department in Srinagar that had made a forecast of heavy snowfall from February 6th to February 12th.
"Avalanche warning exists in the high altitude areas for the next 24 hours. People living in the areas are cautioned to avoid movement during snowfall and not to venture out in avalanche prone areas", SASE officials said this evening. Areas, where high danger avalanche warning exists, included Sonamarg, Gagangir, Bhimbat, Drass, Batalic, Dhudi and S M Hills in Kargil district.
They said areas where medium danger of avalanche warning existed included Khilanmarg, Uri, Baaz, Razdan Top, Z-Gali, Keran, Furkian top, Machil, Sadna Top, Urez, Niru, Baruab and Chowkibal in Kupwara and Baramulla districts of North Kashmir.
Areas where low danger avalanche warning exists include both sides of Jawahar Tunnel, the gateway to Kashmir, and its adjoining areas on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway.

Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, has, meanwhile, expressed grief over the deaths that occurred at Khilanmarg-Gulmarg due to severe snow avalanche that swept the area early this morning. An official release said that immediately after hearing about the incident, Chief Minister deputed Minister of State for Tourism, Mr. Nasir Aslam Wani to Gulmarg to personally oversee the rescue and relief operations. He directed the Divisional Administration, Kashmir to pace up the rescue operations for the trapped soldiers. He was in touch with the senior officers and top Army brass stationed at Gulmarg and was personally monitoring the rescue operation. Chief Minister has conveyed his condolences with the bereaved families.
Immediately after his arrival in the summer capital, Chief Minister took a meeting of senior government functionaries to take stock of the law and order scenario besides availability of ration supplies and other essential commodities, arrangements being done to tackle the situation created by the continuous rains and snowfall, dewatering, power position and other related matters. Those who attended the meeting included Minister of Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, MoS Tourism, Nasir Aslam Wani, CM’s Advisors, namely Mubarak Gul and Devinder Singh Rana, DGP Kuldeep Khoda, Divisional Commissioner, Naseema Lankar and IGP Kashmir, Farooq Ahmed.

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