Minutes after a massive avalanche in Sikkim killed at least six tourists, the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority (JKDMA) issued an avalanche warning in the Kupwara district in the next 24 hours. According to the authorities, the avalanche is likely to have a “low danger level”, reported news agency ANI.
The authority also advised people living in the Kupwara area to “take precautions and avoid venturing into the avalanche-prone areas till further orders.”
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Earlier, six tourists – four men, two women, and a child – were killed, while as many as 50 people are reported to be trapped under the snow after an avalanche hit Sikkim around 12:30 pm on Tuesday, inspector general (check post) of Sikkim police Sonam Tenzing Bhutia said. “The identity of the deceased is yet to be established,” she said.
The incident took place on a road 14th mile on Jawaharlal Nehru road connecting Gangtok with Nathula at the India-China border.
According to reports, over 20 tourists have been rescued so far and have been admitted to the STNM Hospital and Central Referral Hospital in Gangtok for treatment.
Sikkim has been witnessing snowfall regularly over the past month – which led to the authorities restricting movement of tourists till the 13th-mile marker – a point on the Jawaharlal Nehru Road. According to officials, the tourists had gone past the permitted point when they were hit by the avalanche.
(With inputs from ANI)