J&K: Avalanche hits Army camp in Kupwara, 3 soldiers dead, 1 injured

SRINAGAR: At least three soldiers were on Friday killed after an avalanche hit an army camp in Jammu and Kashmir's Kupwara district.

The incident that took place at Kupwara's Machil Sector also left an Army personnel injured.

The three deceased soldiers have been identified as Havaldar Kamlesh Singh (39), Naik Balveer (33) and Sepoy Rajinder (25).

On Wednesday, a government agency had issued an avalanche warning in several districts of J&K for next 24 hours, shortly after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region jolted parts of north India.

The Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment "informed that medium danger avalanche warning of level-3 exists in higher reaches of Baramulla district and low danger warning of level-2 in Kupwara, Bandipore, Shopian and Kargil Districts," an official spokesman had said.

He had said that a level-1 warning was issued in Poonch, Rajouri, Reasi, Ramban, Doda, Kishtwar, Udhampur, Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Ganderbal and Leh for the next 24 hours.

"The people living in higher reaches of these districts should avoid movement in the avalanche-prone areas/slopes for the next 24 hours," he had added.

The advisory was issued in view of the forecast of wet weather in most parts of the state over the next 24 hours.

(With agency inputs)