Buried in snow.. Avalanche in Kashmir kills skiers and 21 others survive

Weather of Arabia - Two Polish skiers were killed in an avalanche that occurred yesterday, Wednesday, in the Gulmarg ski resort in the Indian part of Kashmir, while 21 other skiers were rescued, according to what the police announced.

The snow mass collapsed at the bottom of Mount Avrut, whose summit is 4390 meters high, which led to the burial of three groups of skiers, all of them foreigners, accompanied by local guides.

Police and mountain rescue teams were dispatched to the site and found the bodies of the two Polish skiers, police officer Amud Nagbore told AFP.

"During the relief operations, 19 foreigners and their local guides were rescued," the police said in a statement, while "two foreign nationals were killed in the avalanche and their bodies were retrieved."

The rescued skiers are receiving treatment at a nearby medical centre. The authorities have not yet revealed their nationalities.

Gulmarg is located about 55 km from Srinagar, the main city in the region, and attracts dozens of tourists and ski enthusiasts throughout the year.

The Kashmir Meteorological Department has issued a warning that heavy snowfall may trigger avalanches in the high risk areas and advised people not to venture out to these areas until February 1 as the possibility of avalanches increases.