Seven Killed in Avalanches at Zojila Pass

At least seven people, including a child and two women, were killed and five others injured when multiple avalanches struck vehicles on the Srinagar-Leh national highway at Zojila Pass in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday afternoon, officials said. The incident occurred near Zero Point and Captain Turn in the high-altitude Drass sector, burying several passenger vehicles under heavy snow and debris at an elevation of around 3,500 meters.

Authorities reported that the avalanches hit around 2:45 p.m., trapping at least three to four vehicles, with some accounts indicating up to 15 partially or fully buried. Rescue teams arrived quickly and pulled five survivors from the wreckage, transporting them to a hospital in Drass for treatment. Officials recovered seven bodies but noted that one or two individuals remained unaccounted for, with searches ongoing amid fears they may not have survived. The death toll initially stood at five before rising as teams continued digging through the snow.

A multi-agency response was launched immediately, involving police, the Indian Army, the Border Roads Organisation, the State Disaster Response Force, and district administrations from Sonamarg and Drass....