Two Polish skiers were killed while 19 other skiers were rescued from an avalanche-hit area of Gulmarg Valley, police said. Police said that a massive avalanche hit the upper reaches of Jammu and Kashmir’s ski resort Gulmarg on Wednesday morning in which the skiers go trapped.
Police have identified the deceased skiers as Wasil Krzysztof Jerzy and Grzech Adam Roman both of Poland, both in their early 40s.
Police said, they reached the spot with ski patrol teams of the tourism department and were able to rescue 19 skiers while the bodies of both deceased skiers were retrieved which was shifted to the hospital for Medico-legal procedures.
Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Baramulla, Amod Ashok Nagpore, who was monitoring the rescue operation, said they received information that three teams comprising 21 foreign nationals and two local guides had gone to Affarwat Gulmarg for skiing unaware of the avalanche warning.
“At about 12.30pm a massive avalanche hit Hapatkhud Kangdori where these skiing teams got trapped. During the rescue operation, 19 foreign nationals and two local guides were rescued,” he said.
“There was avalanche warning and these skiers had gone beyond the marked area on their own risk,” said assistant director of tourism, Gulmarg, Javaidur Rehman, adding that there would be around 300 skiers in Gulmarg presently.
Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority on Tuesday issued avalanche warnings in the upper reaches of Kashmir.
Farhat Naik, a prominent skier who was in Gulmarg, said that there is the possibility that these Polish skiers had come to Gulmarg for the first time. “It is unfortunate they got killed in the avalanche today.”
Gulmarg in January received more than 10 feet of snow in four spells. Earlier this week Gulmarg and its adjoining mountain received more than two feet of fresh snow.
February is considered the best month for skiing on the slopes of Gulmarg and currently, local and foreign skiers are based at the ski resort which is known for its best slopes. Later this month, winter national games are being held in Gulmarg.
