Avalanche at Zojila leaves at least 5 dead, 6 injured

Sonamarg, Mar 27: At least five persons died while six others were injured after an avalanche struck near Zojila Pass along the Srinagar-Leh National Highway on Friday.

Officials said the avalanche struck near the Zojila Pass and buried several vehicles under it.

Soon after the incident, rescue teams from Ladakh Police, Police from Ganderbal, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Army, and paramilitary CRPF rushed to the site and launched an operation.

A senior official said that five bodies had been recovered from underneath the snow while one was missing.

Most of the bodies are of people from Kargil, Ladakh.

The official said the search and rescue operation was underway.

They said further details were awaited as rescue operation was on.

Authorities said the operation was ongoing and efforts were being made to ensure the snow was cleared.

Chief Executive Councillor (CEC), Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council (LAHDC), Kargil, Muhammad Jaffar Akhoon along with Deputy Commissioner (DC) Kargil, Rakesh Kumar, SP Kargil, Nitin Yadav, and SSP Ganderbal, Khalil Poswal visited the spot at Zojila to oversees the rescue operation.

Talking to Greater Kashmir, CEC, LAHDC, Kargil, Muhammad Jaffar Akhoon termed the incident as tragic and unfortunate.

He confirmed that five bodies had been recovered while one person was missing and was feared dead.

Akhoon said that the rescue operation had been stopped due to darkness and to avoid any further untoward incident.

He said that the operation would resume in the morning to trace the missing person and to restore the road.

The five bodies that were recovered where identified as Asadullah, son of Sajjad Hussain of Youljok; Muhammad Ali, son of Muhammad Musa of Sankoo, Kargil; Toiba Banoo, wife of Altaf Hussain of Sangrah; Shahar Banoo, wife of Sajjad Hussain of Youljok, and Muhammaf Yousuf, son of Ghulam Ali of Tangol.

Six persons who were injured have been identified as Muhammad Baqir, son of Mohsin Ali of Nilgrath Sonamarg; Adiba Banoo and Farida Banoo, daughters of Ghulam Qadir of Leh; Danish Majid, son of Abul Majid of Pattan; Sajida Banoo, wife of Muhammad Mohsin, and Hakeema Khatoon, daughter of Muhammad Hassan.

The injured were referred to Sub District Hospital Drass and District Hospital Kargil.

Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh, Vinai Kumar Saxena, expressed grief over the incident.

“I have directed the DC and SSP of Kargil to visit the spot immediately and mobilise relief and rescue operations,” he said, adding that all government agencies including disaster relief forces and BRO had been put on high alert.

“I am personally monitoring the situation,” LG Saxena said.

Union Minister Jitendra Singh said seven persons had died n the incident.

“Saddened to learn about the tragic death of 7 persons and injuries to 5 after an avalanche hit the vehicle at Zojila pass. My sincere condolences to the bereaved families. All required assistance is being provided to the injured,” he posted on microblogging site X.

He said teams from the BRO and the Police were working to clear the debris and locate anyone who might still be trapped.

Member of Parliament Ladakh Muhammad Haneefa Jan expressed grief over the incident.

“Heartbroken by the tragic avalanche at Zojila Pass that has claimed innocent lives. My deepest condolences to the bereaved families. Bo words can truly ease their pain. This is not just a tragedy, but a stark reminder of the harsh and dangerous realities our people are forced to endure while traveling on this critical route,” he said.

“Zojila is the lifeline of Ladakh, yet repeated incidents like this expose serious gaps in safety preparedness. I strongly urge the concerned authorities to act with urgency rescue and clearance operations must be carried out on a war footing, and immediate relief and support must reach the affected families without any delay. At the same time, there is an urgent need to implement a fixed and scientifically planned traffic schedule, preferably during early morning hours when avalanche risks are significantly lower. Preventive measures must replace reactive responses.”