Avalanche warning for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand

The National Disaster Management Authority on Sunday issued an avalanche warning for Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand on Sunday evening. The authority said that warning will be valid from 5 pm on Sunday to 5 pm on Monday. 

The NDMA issued the warning after a report from the Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) Chandigarh. The areas marked in Yellow, which are likely to face danger level-3, are Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora and Ganderbal in Kashmir, Kargil and Leh in Laddakh. Lahaul-Spiti and Kullu from Himachal are also in the yellow zone.

Areas with danger level-2 are Anantnag and Kulgam (Kashmir Div), Chamba and Kinnaur in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarkashi, Chamoli, Rudraprayag and Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand. 

Meanwhile, one person was critically injured while two others were evacuated safely after they were buried by an avalanche near Farkin Top in north Kashmir's Kupwara district on Sunday.

A JCB machine working on the Farkin-Keran road near Farkin Top was hit by the avalanche, a police spokesman said. The JCB operator, identified as Amerdeep Singh, was critically injured, he said.

Singh was shifted to a medical facility and two others, Shakoor Ahmad Piswal and Mohammad Sumander Mir, both residents of Farkin, were evacuated safely.