Srinagar, Feb 23 (IANS) Twelve Indian Army troopers were killed in two north Kashmir avalanches overnight in Bandipora and Ganderbal districts, an army official said Thursday.
Lt. Col. J.S. Brar, spokesman of the Srinagar-based 15 Corps, told IANS: "Eight army troopers were killed and eight are still missing, 13 have been rescued from the avalanche that struck the brigade headquarters in Dawar village of Gurez (109 km from here) subdivision of Bandipora Wednesday night."
"Operations are still on to rescue the eight buried under the avalance," he said.
"Three troopers of the Territorial Army, including a junior commissioned officer, were killed in another avalanche that struck an army camp late Wednesday night in Sonmarg resort in Ganderbal, 87 km from srinagar," he added.
In the third avalanche, more than dozen hutments in Ramwari area of Ganerbal district during the night, but no loss of life occurred in the incident.
The area is inhabited by nomadic goatherds during the summer as they take their flock of sheep and goats for grazing.
Only last week, a major disaster was averted in Ganderbal district as a massive avalanche blocked the passage of water in the Sindh stream that flows to the middle of Sonamarg tourist resort.
As the authorities prepared for controlled blasting of the avalanche with the army's help to avoid glacial lake outburst flooding (GLOF), which could cause a major disaster in the low lying areas of Ganderbal district, accumulated water finally managed to find its way cutting through the avalanche.
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