Five army soldiers trapped under snow in Kashmir rescued

The incident comes two days after two avalanches killed 14 soldiers in the Gurez sector near the de -facto border between Indian and Pakistani.

Five soldiers who went missing after a pathway cleared in the snow caved in in Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Saturday have been rescued, officials said, as the Valley reeled under unprecedented snowfall over the last few days.

A Kashmiri man checks his vehicle stuck in snow in Tangmarg, about 41 kms northwest of Srinagar on Friday. (AP Photo)

An army spokesperson said the soldiers who were on patrol near a camp in Machhal sector when they were buried under several feet of snow are being are undergoing treatment. Snow tracks are pathways carved out through snow to facilitate movement of men and vehicles.

Separate avalanches buried a military post and swept away a patrol on Wednesday night in Gurez, burying a total of 21 Indian soldiers. Seven soldiers were rescued.

Earlier, an army major was also killed in an avalanche in Ganderbal district.

Several civilians have also been killed in the recent incidents.

Kashmir has been witnessing one of the most severe winters in recent decades, with heavy snow across the territory and temperatures dropping to minus seven degrees Celsius.

Authorities have issued avalanche warnings, advising residents in mountainous areas not to venture out.