Two Polish skiers were killed when an avalanche hit the Himalayan ski resort of Gulmarg, in Kashmir.
There were also 21 others buried under the snow, including two Kashmiri guides, when a huge snowslide powered down from the peak of the 14,400ft Mount Apharwat in the Affarwat area.
High-altitude rescue teams were called into action and they raced to the site on snow scooters, retrieving the bodies of the two Polish skiers, according to police officer Amod Nagpuri. It was later revealed that the two men were in their 40s.
“During the rescue ops, 19 foreign nationals and two local guides have been rescued,” a police statement said. “Unfortunately, two foreign nationals lost their lives in the avalanche, and their dead bodies have also been recovered.”
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The rescued skiers were treated for their injuries at a local clinic, and they are reported to be a mixture of Russians and Polish nationals, while the two local guides were named as Fayaz Ahmad Sheikh and Mushtaq Ahmad Mir.
In dramatic footage of the avalanche, a wall of snow can be seen racing down the side of the mountain towards a group of skiers, like a giant wave, sweeping over the tops of trees as it draws ever closer. Panic then ensues when the group of skiers suddenly realise the danger they are in and try to flee, before the video cuts out.
One person who saw the tragedy unfold was All India Committee member Deepak Chinchore. He told PTI: "We saw the dance of death before our eyes. A 20ft wall of ice fell on the skiers and they got buried under it. It’s all about nature’s fury.”
The cable car that was used for the rescue operations has since been closed.
Gulmarg is a hugely popular resort despite there being a heavy military presence due to its close proximity to the de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.
Avalanches and landslides are common in the area and have killed numerous Indian and Pakistani soldiers – 129 of the latter died during a huge avalanche in 2012 – camped near the mountainous and forested militarised Line of Control that divides the area.
The last big avalanche in Gulmarg was in 2010 when 17 soldiers in an army camp were killed.
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