The freshspell of snowfall in Kashmir has wreaked havoc in the upper reaches of thevalley with snow avalanches killing at least 10 persons including fivesoldiers. According to Army spokesperson, five soldiers had gone missing aftera snow avalanche hit a post in Shahpur area of Macchil sector in NorthKashmir's Kupwara district. After the rescue team traced the soldiers, four ofthem were declared dead while another was rescued. “He is being treated at anarmy hospital for injuries,” the spokesperson added.

In anotherincident at Kupwara, a personnel from the Border Security Force (BSF) lost hislife when a snow avalanche hit a BSF post in Nowgam sector. In another incidentat Kullan area of Ganderbal district in North Kashmir, nine persons were stuckafter an avalanche hit the village.

Accordingto SSP Ganderbal Khalil Poswal, five of them were declared dead as their bodieswere recovered from snow while four others were rescued. “The avalanche hit aparticular location where the victims from different families were hit,” theSSP told

In Srinagarcity, all major roads and city centres have been inundated with water causingmassive inconvenience to pedestrians and commuters. The roads have becomeslippery and there is no administrative response to deal with the situation.

Even as theonly 300 km long road link between Kashmir valley and outside remained shut forvehicular traffic for fourth consecutive day, flight services resumed at theSrinagar airport after a day of disruption.

At theairport, however, aerial passengers claimed they faced massive inconveniencewhile travelling to and from the airport. “It is absolute chaos at the airport.I had to wait for over an hour and then walk in the frozen road for more than akilometre to board a car,” a passenger flying from Delhi to Srinagar.

Lt Governor Girish Chandra Murmu onTuesday expressed grief over the loss of lives due to avalanches at differentparts of the union territory.

Ninepeople, including four soldiers, were killed and several others injured inthree avalanches in Jammu and Kashmir since Monday night, police and defencesources said.

In hismessage, the Lt Governor prayed for eternal peace to the departed souls andstrength to the bereaved families.