By IANS,
Srinagar : Six people were buried under an avalanche in Kupwara district of north Jammu and Kashmir late Thursday, officials said here Friday, indicating there was little chance of any survivors.
“Six persons, one police constable and five civilians, were buried under an avalanche late last evening in Machil area of Kupwara district,” a senior police officer said here.
The officer said rescue was launched early Friday morning, but fresh avalanches in the area had severely affected the operations.
“The victims are lying under 15 feet of snow and bad weather in the area is severely affecting our efforts to rescue the victims,” the officer said.
While authorities refused to confirm the fate of the victims, the chances of any survivors in the tragedy are very bleak now as the six have remained under the avalanche for more than 18 hours.
It had snowed heavily in Machil since Thursday evening and reports said the group of six was passing through the Zeed Ghali, a narrow gorge, when the avalanche struck them.