Satya Pal Malik offers condolences to victims of avalanche at Jawahar Tunnel

Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik on Friday expressed grief over the loss of lives during an avalanche near Jawahar Tunnel in Kulgam district. The governor has prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families.

Bodies of seven policemen were on Friday extricated from a police post hit by the avalanche near the tunnel Thursday evening. While two cops were rescued, another was missing, a police official said. Heavy snowfall across Kashmir over the past two days has triggered avalanches and snowslides in many places in the hilly areas of the valley.

The authorities have issued an avalanche warning for 16 of the 22 districts of Jammu and Kashmir Kulgam district in south Kashmir received maximum precipitation in the past 24 hours. Some places in the district have received as much as five feet of snow, they said.

(With inputs from agencies.)