Jammu and Kashmir: Army evacuates 68 tourists stranded in Gulmarg amid road closure due to heavy snowfall
The Army responded to a distress call from the civil administration and following the evacuation, hot meals shelter and medications were provided to the tourists.
The Indian Army rescued 68 tourists including 38 women and children from Jammu and Kashmir’s Gulmarg which received heavy snowfall on Friday leading to the closure of the road to Tanmarg. Gulmarg is a popular skiing destination and tourists flock to the town during the season to enjoy the valley's beauty and experience snowfall.
Chinar Warriors responded to a distress call from the civil administration to evacuate the tourists who were stranded due to heavy snowfall. Apart from this, the Army made arrangements for hot meals, shelter and medication for a total of 137 tourists.
Sharing information on the rescue operation, the China Corps posted pictures on X, where Army personnel can be seen pushing a vehicle out from the snow as stranded tourists gather around.
Other rescue operations in Jammu and Kashmir:
Officials on Saturday said that six people stranded amid heavy snowfall on the Mughal Road in Poonch district were rescued by the police. This comes after two vehicles going from Shopian to Surankote got stuck in the snow at Chattapani, leaving their occupants stranded in challenging weather conditions.
Police advised commuters to exercise caution and stay informed about weather conditions when travelling in snow-prone and high-altitude areas.
J-K weather updates:
Several places in the valley including Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, Gurez, Zojila axis, Sadhna Top, Mughal Road, and many areas in Bandipora, Baramulla, and Kupwara districts, recorded snowfall, weather officials said. Plains of Srinagar, Ganderbal, Anantnag, Kulgam, Shopian, and Pulwama districts, received their first snowfall this season.
Across Kashmir, minimum temperatures continue to settle several degrees below the freezing point, with fractional respite on Friday. The minimum and maximum temperatures, both, have been staying below normal in the Union Territory.
Low temperatures have led to the freezing of water supply lines and the forming of a thin layer of ice on the surface of several water bodies, including the Dal Lake.
(With PTI inputs)