Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Feb 1: Two Polish skiers were killed while 21 were rescued from the Ski slopes at Hapatkhud Kangdori area of Gulmarg today when a massive avalanche trapped at least six skiers.
A gigantic wall of snow rolled down at around 12:30 p.m. in the Hapatkhud area where a group of mostly Polish and Russian skiers and two local guides were skiing. At least six skiers were buried under the avalanche.
Senior Superintendent of Police Baramulla, Amod Nagpure told Excelsior that three teams of 21 foreign nationals and two local guides went to Affarwat for skiing this morning. “A snow avalanche struck Hapatkhud Kangdori around 12.30 pm,” he said.
The SSP said that Baramulla police mobilized joint rescue teams of the Police, Army and Tourism department who rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation using all available equipment.
“During the rescue operation, 19 foreign nationals and 2 local guides were safely rescued”, he said.
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A police spokesman identified them as Ekaterina, Maxim, Vladimir, Vasiliy, Engine, Leo, Nikita Mastryukov, Anna Chornyak, residents of Russia and Rafat Kaqmaren, Narcin Wieklux, Eukasz Potaczewck, Tukasz Pasek, Katarzyna Filip, Marcin Raczyk, Barteomie Szkop, Bartosz Domagata, Adrian Anirowsu and Macie Kowalczyk, residents of Poland, a foreign guide Bartos from the same country and two local guides Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmad Mir from Tangmarg.
“Unfortunately, two foreign nationals identified as Krzysltof, 43, and Adam Grzech, 45, both from Poland lost their lives in the avalanche. The dead bodies of both the foreign nationals have been recovered and shifted to hospital for medico legal formalities,” the SSP said.
The skiers had gone to “no go zone” area. Normally ski patrol teams clear the designated ski slopes every morning before the skiers are allowed to proceed. They even trigger avalanches to make the slopes safe for skiers.
The Hapatkhud Kangdori area where the accident took place had been declared off limits due to the possibility of an avalanche following heavy snowfall two days ago.
The SSP said that they are investigating why the skiers were allowed to go to the avalanche prone area.
“We saw 20 feet wall of ice fell on the skiers and they got buried under it,” said All India Congress Committee member Deepak Chinchore from Karnataka who was at Kongdoori at the time of incident.
Videos of the avalanche showed a wall of snow roaring down a mountain side, sending skiers and other onlookers scurrying for safety. One of the videos shows a skier getting trapped under snow while others were skiing to safety as the avalanche swept them.
Snow avalanches are frequent in higher reaches of Kashmir during January and February, especially after fresh snowfall.
The last big avalanche in Gulmarg was on February 8, 2010 when 17 soldiers in an Army camp were killed.
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