The avalanche came hurtling down on the 60-strong combat troops as they were scaling the icy walls of high-altitude Khilanmarg peak in near zero visibility, police and army said.

Seventeen jawans were buried alive under huge piles of snow, 17 were extricated while 26 were rescued, army spokesman Col. J S Brar said.

The injured, all in serious condition, were admitted to the army hospital here, he said.

The dead included an officer, Lt. Prateek, and 16 other jawans, all from Army’s prestigious High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS), Col. Brar said.

The 60 were part of a group of 350 soldiers selected for advanced winter warfare course by the Gulmarg-based school, Col Brar said.

It has been snowing heavily in Gulmarg and its surrounding areas in the past few days with reports pouring in of six-foot of snow in certain areas.

This was one of the most tragic incidents in the ski resort which draws a large number of tourists every year, Col. Brar said.

He said the troops had left Gulmarg at 0800 hrs and after traversing eight-km uphill reached Khilanmarg to set up the training camp when the avalanche struck the mountainous area.

Last evening, Snow Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) had issued an avalanche warning and advised people living in high altitude areas not to venture out.

“Avalanche warning still exists in high altitude areas. People are cautioned not to venture out of their houses when it is snowing,” SASE said.

“I am hearing about the tragic death of army personnel in the avalanche,” Defence Minister A K Antony said in a statement.

He expressed “deep anguish” in a condolence message to the families of the deceased and to the army units which lost its men.

Antony also urged the army and local authorities to expedite rescue operations and provide adequate medical aid to the injured.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said two army personnel were still missing and search operations would resume tomorrow morning.

He said there were no tourists among the injured in the incident.

Soon after receiving the news about the tragedy, Omar Abdullah despatched Minister of State for Tourism Nasir Aslam Wani to Gulmarg to personally oversee the rescue operations.

The Chief Minister also offered his condolences to the bereaved families, an official release said in Jammu.

No tourist or civilian was among the dead or trapped under the heaps of snow, it said.

So far, 70 people had been rescued from the area despite the heavy snowing hampering the operations, the release said.

[Source]