Fresh avalanches hit J-K, MET warns of more
NEW DELHI: An elderly was buried under snow as more avalanches and landslides hit the Jammu-srinagar highway on Friday even as cold kept up its intensity in Himachal Pradesh that recorded fresh snow and showers.
The minimum temperature in Punjab, Haryana and the national capital dipped due to rains over the last two days.
Delhi gauged 30.3 mm of rainfall till 8:30 am, a record for January in the past 10 years. The minimum temperature in the city settled at 13.4 degrees.
Thirty-five trains were delayed, 17 rescheduled and one cancelled due to bad weather in the northern region.
A fresh avalanche in Banihal disrupted the work of the Border Roads Organisation that is busy clearing blockades due to snowfall in a bid to restore traffic on the highway which was closed for the third consecutive day today.
More than 20 people, including 15 army personnel, have died in avalanches since Wednesday caused by fresh snowfall across Jammu and Kashmir over the past four days.
In Srinagar, police officials said bodies of four missing soldiers were recovered from avalanche-hit Gurez sector, taking the death toll in the incident to 14.
Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man died after he came under an avalanche in Uri sector of Baramulla district.
Several avalanches hit the highway at Shatani Nallah area in Banihal belt of Ramban district today. A number of land- slides were also triggered by heavy rains in Banihal- Ramban sector.
Authorities have issued a high danger avalanche warning in hilly parts of snow-bound Kashmir Valley in view of fresh snowfall.
Most parts of Kashmir received intermittent snowfall last night. Srinagar got two cm of snow and the mercury there settled at a low of minus 0.8 degree Celsius, Gulmarg gauged 41 cm of precipitation and recorded the minimum temperature of minus 4 degrees Celsius.
Pahalgam recorded 23 cm of snowfall and a low of minus 2.2 degrees Celsius. The minimum temperature in Leh, in Ladakh region, was minus 5.1 degrees Celsius and it was the coldest recorded place in the state.
Himachal Pradesh experienced widespread rains and snow that caused sharp fall in maximum day temperatures. The MET office has predicted rains or snow in mid and higher hills over the next four days and dry weather in lower hills from tomorrow.
The sky remained heavily overcast in Shimla and other places and chilly winds made people shiver even in heavy woolens. The tribal areas and other higher hills had intermittent heavy snowfall and Rohtang, Kunzam and Saach passes recorded 45 to 60 cm of snow during past 24 hours while Kothi got 30 cm of fresh snow, followed by Keylong 21 cm, Kalpa 19 cm, Bharmaur 15 cm, Khadrala 7 mm and Manali 3 cm.
The mid and lower hills of the state received widespread heavy rains and Arki was wettest in the region with 150 mm rains, followed by Ghumarwin 90 mm, Nainadevi 72 mm, Dharampur 65 mm, Jhandutta 60 mm and Kasauli 57 mm.
A feeble Western Disturbance is likely to affect western Himalayan region from January 28th onwards, MET office said. The minimum temperature was impacted a little by heavy rains yesterday in Punjab and Haryana.
Chandigarh had a low of 10.9 degrees Celsius, Ambala 11.9, Hisar 12.3 and Karnal 11.2 degrees Celsius.