15-year-old student dies in snow avalanche in north Kashmir

One of three teenage boys, students of a local madrassa, were struck by a snow avalanche in Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara on Saturday.

One of three teenage boys, students of a local madrassa, were struck by a snow avalanche in Kashmir’s frontier district of Kupwara on Saturday.

The avalanche hit Chuntiwari-Bala area of Machil in Kupwara in the morning after fresh snowfall in the upper reaches of Kashmir.

Officials said 15-year-old Meirajuddin Khan, along with two other teenage boys, was on way to his madrassa when the snow wall came crashing down on them.

“The boy died on the spot while two of his companions were injured,” said Kupwara deputy commissioner Rajeev Ranjan.

The body of the boy was retrieved after locals and police rushed to the spot.

The injured boys were immediately taken to Machil hospital where from they were referred to the Kupwara sub-district hospital for further treatment. “The two who were injured are out of danger,” the official said.

After fresh rains and snowfall, authorities had issued an avalanche warning for higher reaches of the Valley including Machil sector.