2 dead in landslides in J-K, 400 roads cut off due to snow in HP; Sikkim sees 'exceptional' snowfall

New Delhi: Two people died in a landslide and avalanche in Jammu and Srinagar on Thursday, while at least 400 roads in Himachal Pradesh remained cut off due to heavy snow and rain.

More than 80 people were rescued from two snowed under places in J-K, while an "exceptionally" heavy snowfall in Sikkim cut off a strategic road and threw general life out of gear.

Weather in the national capital remained pleasant with the maximum temperature settling at 26.2 degrees Celsius, a notch above normal.

A Russian skier died while seven others, including a local guide, were rescued as an avalanche struck the ski slopes of Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

According to police, the group of seven Russians and a local guide ventured into a non-ski zone in the avalanche-prone Army Ridge area.

"There was an avalanche warning but they still ventured into that zone and unfortunately one skier died," Gulmarg Police Station SHO Haroon Kar said.

The deceased was identified as Hanten from Moscow in Russia and his body has been taken to the Tangmarg sub-district hospital for post mortem, the police officer said.

A construction worker was hit by a landslide outside his company headquarters near Seri in Ramban district around 8.30 am, police said.

Deshpaul, a native of Uttar Pradesh, was going towards the mess of the company for breakfast when the incident occurred.

In Qazigund, army troops rescued over 80 students and faculty staff stranded on the Jammu-Kashmir Highway for the past three days due to landslides and snowstorm.

Heavy snowfall and roadblocks caused by landslides on Wednesday left many commuters stranded along the treacherous Jammu-Srinagar highway, among them were 74 students of Rajasthan Law college and seven of its staff members, officials said.

"A landslide occurred just 500 metres in front of our vehicle after crossing Banihal, leaving us frightened," one of the students said.

An official of the traffic department said the 270-km long highway, the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country, remained closed for the fourth day following a fresh landslide at Kishtwari Pather near Banihal.

"The restoration work is in progress and will take some time," he said.

In Himachal Pradesh, most parts reeled under biting cold wave conditions as the minimum temperature dipped following snowfall and rain in some areas, the MeT office said.

Lahaul and Spiti's Kukumseri was the coldest in the state at minus 14.6 degrees while the minimum temperature stayed 15 to 20 degrees below freezing point in several high-altitude tribal areas.

According to reports, an avalanche occurred at Dhooni mountain above Jabrang village in Lahaul and Spiti district. No casualty was reported in the incident.

According to the state emergency operation centre, four national highways, among 400 roads, are still closed and 289 transformers and 11 water supply schemes remain disrupted.

In Lahaul and Spiti, 288 roads, including 505 in Gramphu-Losar and three in Darcha-Sarchu are blocked, followed by 83 in Chamba and 21 in Kullu, it said.

In North and East Sikkim, several strategically important roads were blocked due to heavy snowfall, the Border Road Organisation (BRO) said in a statement on Thursday.

Strategically important roads along the Lachung and Lachen axis and the national highway to Nathu La and Tamze have experienced exceptionally heavy snowfall causing disruption of socio-economic activities and posing a challenge to all road users.

"Due to disturbance from western Himalayan region, the weather in Sikkim has taken a swift turn because of which the Northern and Eastern part of Sikkim is experiencing heavy snowfall," BRO said.