A snow avalanche struck the Sonamarg tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, hitting the Sarbal area around 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday. Fortunately, there were no casualties reported, although the avalanche affected houses, hotels, and parked vehicles in the region. Sonamarg, along with other high-altitude areas in Ganderbal district, is prone to avalanches, prompting authorities to issue warnings against movement during and after snowfall.
Around 4 feet of snow has accumulated in Sonamarg over the past four days, leading to the cancellation of all flights at the Srinagar International Airport. Due to heavy snowfall, the Srinagar-Jammu national highway will be closed for traffic, with disruptions also affecting traffic on the Srinagar-Leh highway and Mughal Road. Travelers are advised to contact traffic control rooms in Srinagar and Jammu for updates on highway status before embarking on their journeys.
In response to the snowfall, the J&K government has suspended five officials from the roads and buildings department for negligence during snow-clearance operations. The fresh snowfall has caused power disruptions in rural areas, with reports of faults along transmission lines. Efforts are underway by power development corporation employees to restore electricity in affected areas.
