Labourer Killed As Avalanche Hits J&K's Sonamarg

A labourer has been killed after an avalanche hit the Sonamarg area of Jammu and Kashmir.

A labourer has been killed after an avalanche hit the Sonamarg area of Jammu and Kashmir.

Source : ANI

A labourer was killed after an avalanche hit Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Thursday, officials said. The avalanche hit the Sarbal area close to Nilgrath where Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) is executing work on the Zojila Tunnel.

"The body of a worker has been recovered from the avalanche site and shifted to the nearby hospital," the officials said.

#WATCH | Jammu and Kashmir: A snow avalanche occurred near Baltal, Zojila in Sonamarg area of Ganderbal district. No loss has been reported. pic.twitter.com/BdGLhOEOhz

— ANI (@ANI) January 12, 2023

A rescue operation has been launched and police, State Disaster Response Force, Army, Beacon and MEIL teams are on site to clear the snow-laden area, they added.

Medical teams with ambulances and first aid kits are also at the spot. Further details are awaited, they added.

Cold conditions have intensified with sub-zero temperatures in most places in Jammu and Kashmir. The union territory would have no respite from the cold spell with the prediction of a minimum temperature of -6 degrees.

On Wednesday, the weather department said there would be a gradual increase in the intensity and distribution of snow or rain as the day progresses.

Some places, mainly the higher reaches, may receive heavy snowfall, the MeT office said. It said there is a possibility of widespread light to moderate snow or rain in the plains of Jammu on Thursday.

On Friday, light snow or rain has been predicted at a few places in Jammu and Kashmir. The weather department predicted a dry weather till January 17. Kashmir is currently under the grip of 'Chillai Kalan', the 40-day harshest weather period when the chances of snowfall are maximum and most frequent.

WEATHER UPDATE

After some relief from the cold wave on Wednesday, parts of Uttar Pradesh were engulfed in a thick layer of fog on Thursday. It is likely that several parts of North India may experience a drop in temperature to a minimum of -4 degrees Celsius and a maximum of 2 degrees Celsius in the plains. According to weather experts, a severe chill would be experienced between January 14 and 19 and is likely to be at its peak from January 16 to 18.

The minimum temperature is likely to hover between 0 to 4 degrees Celsius this week in Punjab, Haryana, New Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Northern Madhya Pradesh.

Cloudy weather and light rain are predicted over the national capital for the next two days under the influence of a strong western disturbance affecting northwest India, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.

While there has been a significant improvement in North India in terms of fog and chill due to the strong winds blowing in because of a Western Disturbance, MeT experts believe that the weather is likely to get cold and foggy soon. 

(With PTI inputs)