By News Agency of Kashmir
Srinagar: Wicked wind and blowing snow continue to surge over to Jammu and Kashmir creating havoc in the hilly areas of the state, while affecting life severally in plains.
The bad weather, which reached state on Sunday, sent mercury tumbling rapidly across the states. As many as three deaths, including of a solider, were reported from Kashmir Valley, where sources claimed fourty structures were also damaged including some school buildings and two Masjids.
The situation remained grave in hilly areas of Jammu region as well as most of the places including Rajouri, Poonch, Doda and Kishtwar remained cut off from the rest of the world and life has almost came to standstill in all these districts. At least six persons were rescued from Dachan area of Kishtwar, after they were trapped in a snow avalanche.
Official sources told News Agency of Kashmir that a solider and two porters were killed in two incidents of avalanches in frontier district of Kupwara.
The solider was killed when he was hit by an avalanche at Badi Behak in Trehgam area of the district, which two civilian porters, working with army, were hit by a snow avalanche in Tangdhar sector of Kupwara district last evening, a police spokesman said today.
The deceased porters were identified as Niyaz Mohammad, 26, son of Raj Mohammad and Mumtaz Ahmad, 24, son of Shamus-us-Din, residents of Nachiyan Karnah, while the solider was identified as Rifleman Vinod Kumar of Village Bagwana District Kathua.
Meanwhile, a jawan of Border Roads Organisation, who was injured in a snow avalanche in Tangdhar sector on Monday, succumbed to injuries last night, a defence spokesman said.
Nearly 20 people, including 12 army jawans, were killed or missing in snow avalanches since last month following heavy snowfall across Kashmir valley.
A residential structure collapsed, due to heavy rains, Nagalta village of Chenani in Udhampur district killing three family members.
Sources said that a Kacha house of Bhagat Ram collapsed, late last evening, killing Girdhari Lal son of Bhagat Ram, his Asro Devi and his fifteen year old niece Ashoki Devi daughter of Prem Chand.
It was reliably learnt that at least six persons were trapped in a remote village of Dachan area in Kishtwar district, last evening. However, timely action of army personnel deployed in the area saved the lives of the civilian, reports reaching here revealed.
At least five structures were reportedly damaged due to snow avalanches in Rajouri and Bhaderwah area of Doda district. However, the reports could not be officially confirmed.
At least sixteen families, comprising about seventy persons, were evacuated from avalanche prone area of Waltengu Nar area of South Kashmir, sources told NAK.
They said that huge snow accumulation was recorded in the area and being the avalanche probe area families of a village were shifted, this morning, to safer places.
Sources told NAK that at Aharbal area of Kulgam district, four residential houses were damaged. However, no loss of life was reported. In Chambgund area of Kulgam one house caved in due to heavy snowfall.
Five structures, including two government schools and a Masjid, caved in at a Gujjar Basti in Dingiwari Manzmoo area of Dooru tehsil. One person was also injured in the area, sources added.
At least fifteen structures, including three residential houses, were damaged in Dooru town and Kapran belt of the area.
Sources claimed that about a dozen cattle perished in Hargosa, Kapran area of Anantnag district, on Wednesday. They said that about eight feet of snow has accumulated in the area.
It was reliably learnt that about half a dozen structures were also damaged in Uri belt of North Kashmir.
The severe weather, which is likely to remain there for another day, knocked out power to most of the places in Kashmir and Jammu regions. As per the reports, Kishtwar and some parts of Rajouri district were in the dark as blizzard conditions hit the western and northern parts of the state.
Meteorologists posted an avalanche warning along on Monday after heavy snow lashed the state.
In plains of Jammu region, roads were slick, dozens of schools closed and the morning commute was a nightmare.