J-K: Gurez sector Avalanche death toll rises over 20, 15 army personnel among dead

More than 20 people, including 15 army personnel, have died in avalanches in Gurez sector of Jammu and Kashmir since Wednesday caused due to fresh snow across Kashmir over the past four days.

Four more bodies of army soldiers were recovered on Friday from avalanches hit Jammu and Kashmir's Gurez sector. Ten Army soldiers were killed when two avalanches struck an Army post and a patrol in Gurez sector on Wednesday.

Army Casualties

"Four bodies of soldiers were recovered from the avalanche site by rescue teams in Gurez on Friday. The death toll of army personnel has now risen to 14," a police official said. Two avalanches hit army personnel in Gurez sector on Wednesday evening trapping several soldiers under the debris.

Army spokesman Col. Rajesh Kalia said rescuers recovered the bodies early Friday after digging through piles of snow in the Gurez sector near the de facto frontier that separates the Indian and Pakistani portions of the region. Lieutenant General D Anbu, Army Commander Northern Command and all ranks expressed their deep condolences to the family members of the brave martyrs 

15 ARMY PERSONNEL MARTYRED IN SONAMARG AND GUREZ AVALANCHES ON 25TH JANUARY

1. Major Amar Sagar

DOB : 02 May 1974

Next of Kin: Mrs Parul (Wife)

Children : Daughter (18 years), Son (12 Years) 

Home Address: C/2/3 Aditi Appts, D-1 Block, Janakpuri, New Delhi

2. Nb Sub Amar Singh Gurjar

Date of Birth: 08 Jul 1974

Next of Kin: Smt Bimlesh (Wife)

Details of Children: Minisha (16 Yr), Sanjay Singh (14 Yr), Rajkumari (13 Yr), Samita (11 Yr), Avadhesh (08 Yr)

Home Address: Vill - Bilai Teh - Madoti, Distt - Karoli, State - Rajasthan

3. Hav Vijay Kumar Shukla

Date of Birth: 21 Feb 1983

Next of Kin: Smt Manorama (Wife)

Children : Yashi Shukla (07 Yrs)

Home Address: Vill - Porsa, Teh - Porsa, Distt - Murena, State - MP

4. Nk Ajit Singh

Date of Birth: 12 Jun 1981

Next of Kin - Smt Priampdhi Singh (Wife), Children - Aryan (Son) 9 yrs, Pratap (Son) 7 Yrs

Home Address: Vill Jamirpur, PO- Pitorapur, Teh – Mehnagar, Distt- Azamgarh, State – UP

5. Sepoy Anand Gawai

Date of Birth: 24 Apr 1990

Next of Kin: Smt Gaukarha Gawai (Mother)

Home Address: Vill - Akola, PO - Akola, Teh - Akola Distt - Akola State - Maharashtra

6. Sepoy Azad Singh

Date of Birth - 01 Jul 1985

Next of Kin - Smt Pushpa Yadav (Wife), Details of Children - Pranashi (08 Yr), Divyanshi (04 Yr) 

Home Address: Vill-Rohilla, PO- Rohilla, Teh –Sadar, Distt- Farukkhbad, State- UP

7. Sepoy Devander Kumar Soni

Date of Birth: 10 Jul 1990

Next of Kin: Smt Laxmi Soni (Mother)

Home Address: Vill - Shahdol, PO - Shahdol, Teh - Sahagapur, Distt - Shahdol, State - MP

8. Sepoy Elaverson B

Date of Birth - 30 Jul 1989

Next of Kin - Smt Amatha (Mother)

Home Address: Vill - Kannanthangudi, PO - Kannanthangudi, Distt - Thanjaur Teh - Orathanado, State- Tamilnadu.

9. Sepoy Nagaraju Mamidi

Date of Birth - 28 Feb 1990

Next of Kin - Smt M Anushka (Wife)

Home Address : Vill - Maradam, PO - Dattirajeru, Distt - Vijaynagar, State - Andhara Pradesh

10. Sepoy Samundare Vikas

Date of Birth - 05 Jan 1990

Next of Kin - Smt Samundare Jandvi Pandurang (Mother)

Home Address Vill - Ganjpur, PO - Ganjpur, Teh -Dharur, Distt - Beed, State - Maharashtra

11. Sepoy Sandeep Kumar

Date of Birth - 21 Jul 1989

Next of Kin - Smt Ganjavathi (Mother)

Home Address: Vill - Devihalli, PO - Devihalli, Teh - Hassan, Distt - Hassan, State - Karnataka

12. Sepoy Sanju Suresh Khandare

Date of Birth - 23 May 1990

Next of Kin - Smt Sheetal Sanju Khendru 

Home Address: Vill - Mana, Teh - Murtizatur, Distt - Akola, State - Maharashtra

13. Sepoy Sundar Pandi

Date of Birth: 08 Jun 1991

Next of Kin: Smt Tamilselvi (Mother)

Home Address: Vill - Pallakuapatar, PO - Pallakuapata, Teh - Tirumangalam, Distt - Madurai, State - Tamilnadu

14. Sepoy Sunil Patel

Date of Birth - 25 Jul 1992

Next of Kin - Smt Pritibha Ben (Wife)

Details of Children - Ardi Ben (02 Yrs) Daughter

Home Address: Vill - Balupura, PO - Blaupura, Teh - Godra, Distt - Panchmahal, State - Gujarat

15. Cfn Ankur Singh

Date of Birth - 16 Mar 1992 

Next of Kin - Priti Sharma (Wife)

Home Address: Vill - Ukhalchana PO - Kot, Teh - Jhajjar, Distt - Jhajjar, State - Haryana

Earlier, an avalanche hit an army camp in Gurez sector of Bandipora district near the Line of Control in which several soldiers were trapped. Rescue operations were launched and seven soldiers including a Junior Commissioned Officer were saved, the army official said. While seven personnel were rescued alive by the teams, the bodies of 10 soldiers were recovered on Thursday.

Also Read: J&K avalanche - Bodies of 4 missing soldiers recovered; death toll rises to 14

Civilian Casualties

“There was one fatal casualty,” Defence Ministry spokesman Col Rajesh Kalia told The Indian Express. “The base was hit by an avalanche. The rescue operation was launched immediately. One body was recovered. All others were rescued,” he said. Four members of a family were killed when their house collapsed at Tulail near the Line of Control in Gurez sector.

“The house collapsed because of heavy snowfall. Four members of the family were killed while one was rescued,” Bandipore Deputy Commissioner Sajad Hussain Ganai said. The deceased were identified as Mehraj-ud-Din Lone (55), his wife Azizi (50), son Irfan (22) and daughter Gulshan (19).

Meanwhile, a 60-year-old man died after he came under an avalanche in Uri sector of Baramulla district. Fateh Mohammad Mughal ventured out of his home on Thursday evening when he came under an avalanche.

Local residents and police pulled Mughal out of the avalanche debris and removed him to a nearby hospital where doctors declared him dead on arrival.

The Valley remained cut off from the rest of the country while normal life was affected in Himachal Pradesh due to snow. High danger avalanche warning was again issued on for some avalanche-prone slopes of Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.

Also Read: J-K: 10 soldiers killed after two avalanches hit Kashmir's Gurez sector, PM Modi condoles deaths