Published: January 17, 2008

Kashmir Isolated From the World, Heavy Snowfall Kills One, Injures Two

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Srinagar, Jan 17: One person was killed and two others injured when a house collapsed as Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall. The snowfall has closed the only road link between Kashmir and rest of the world.

Since this morning, Kashmir witnessed heavy snowfall. The snowfall was heavier in North Kashmir. The upper reaches of Kashmir including the tourist resorts of Gulmarg, Sonamarg and Pahalgam saw heavy snowfall since yesterday.

Due to the heavy snow, the Srinagar-Jammu highway, the only road link connecting Kashmir with the rest of world, was closed. The snowfall triggered landslides on the 294 kms long highway forcing the authorities to suspend vehicular movement on it.

Meanwhile, one person was killed and three others injured in a house collapse in South Kashmir early this morning. Reports said that a double storied residential house belonging to one Abdul Gani Ganie at Koil in South Kashmir collapsed and three persons including the house owner were buried.

Police and locals launched a rescue operation and managed to extract the trapped persons. They were rushed to hospital, where one of them succumbed to injuries. Doctors said the other two are "stable".

The weather department in Kashmir has already issued a snow storm alert. "Our department has issued a general warning regarding heavy snowfall at many places in Kashmir during the next 48 hours (starting this morning)", a weather official said.

Fayaz Wani reports on life in Srinagar, Kashmir.