A Russian skier was killed and five others were rescued along with a local guide after an avalanche struck a popular Himalayan ski resort in Indian-administered Kashmir on Thursday, authorities said.
At least six Russian skiers and a local guide were buried in snow after being hit by an avalanche in the mountains of the tourist city of Gulmarg, authorities said. Rescuers pulled six survivors out of the snow. Authorities have not yet identified the deceased Russian skier.
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Gulmarg is located in the Pir Panjal range in the western Himalayas and is home to one of the largest ski resorts in Asia, attracting thousands of domestic and international tourists.
Indian soldiers stand guard in Gulmarg, February 18, 2008. (TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images)
Avalanches and landslides are common in Kashmir, where Indian and Pakistani troops are camped near the Line of Military Control, a mountainous and forested area that divides Kashmir between nuclear-armed rivals. has caused a large number of deaths.
In 2010, the Indian Army’s High Altitude Combat School in Gulmarg was hit by an avalanche during a training exercise, killing at least 17 soldiers.
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In 2017, three avalanches killed at least 20 Indian soldiers, and in 2012, a major avalanche in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir killed 140 people, including 129 Pakistani soldiers.
