Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Mar 27: Two labourers working with Border Roads Organization (BRO) were killed this morning after they were buried under an avalanche near Sadna Top in North Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
An avalanche struck at Khoni Nalla near Sadna top on Kupwara-Tanghdar road this morning. Two labourers who were heading towards the local BRO unit came under the avalanche and buried alive.
Soon after the incident, the local Army unit and police launched searches and rescued the two labourers. They were evacuated to nearby hospital for treatment. However, both these labourers succumbed.
The deceased have been identified as Nazir Ahmad Chichi son of Nawabdin Chichi and Mohammad Rafiq Chichi son of Hakimdin Chichi of Natheian in Tanghdar of district Kupwara.
The area received fresh snowfall of 5-6 feet during past three weeks and Border Roads Organization is making untiring efforts to clear the road of snow but the avalanches and freak weather is creating problems.
Two days ago Army rescued 64 stranded passengers including women and children from the same area on Kupwara-Tanghdar road at the Nasta Chhun Pass. These passengers were trapped in 10 vehicles that were caught in avalanches and snow blizzard.
The divisional administration had issued an avalanche warning here yesterday in avalanche prone areas above 3000 meter altitude of Kupwara, Bandipora, Baramulla, Ganderbal and Kargil. It had advised people residing in these zones not to venture in avalanche prone areas.
In the meantime, Kashmir valley was lashed by rains and upper reaches by fresh snowfall today. In South Kashmir’s Shopian district, there was hailstorm causing damage to the flowers of the fruit trees that are on bloom these days.
The rains caused water logging at many places in Srinagar city and its outskirts especially in low lying areas. Residents in many areas said that the administration has failed to drain water from their locality causing problems for the movement of the people in these areas.
The heavy and continuous rains for last three weeks have caused damage to the Tangmarg-Gulmarg road. At many places, the road has caved in making it dangerous for the commuters.
In the meantime, despite heavy rains, one-way traffic continued on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway today. Due to continuous rainfall along the highway, it has been severely damaged at several places mostly between Batote and Banihal hampering the smooth movement of the traffic.
The traffic was allowed from Jammu to Srinagar this morning. Hundreds of trucks, oil tankers and passenger vehicles left Jammu this morning for Srinagar.
A massive slide this afternoon blocked the highway at Ramsu and it took several hours for the Border Roads Organization (BRO), responsible for the maintenance of the highway, to clear it by using sophisticated machines. The traffic was restored at around 5 p.m. at Ramsu.
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