12 Killed as Heavy Snow, Rains hit India held-Kashmir 
'Pakistan Times' Kashmir Desk

SRINAGAR (IHK): Twelve persons, including a girl, were killed as heavy snow and rains lashed the occupied Kashmir Valley.

Life was thrown out of gear, with the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway closed, all flights cancelled, schools closed for a week and the valley groping in dark, reports SANA.

The authorities were caught unawares by the sudden snowfall, that too after the end of winter. According to police, Wazira daughter of Ghulam Ahmed Bhat of Gudsath Budgam, Abdul Hamid Matto of Chandgam Pulwama, Ghulam Muhammad Kohkar Son of Sher Muhammad of Sonabrari Kokernag Islamabad and Ghulam Nabi Bhat of Asham Sonawari died in different snow related incidents while two CRPF personnel were injured when their shed collapsed at Sanat Nagar area of Srinagar.

Another person Ghulam Nabi of Safapora died when a house collapsed at Pulwama on Tuesday morning.

Two persons, according to reports were killed when they were buried under landslides while one fell into a deep gorge at Panthihal on the Srinagar-Jammu highway.

Regarding the damages to the structures, the police said about 16 structures were damaged in Srinagar, two houses in Ganderbal, one house in Lalhar, while 14 structures were damaged in Pahalgam and Laripora in Islamabad district.

A housewife was drowned in a river in remote Dhadkai area of District Doda this morning. Sonu Devi along with her husband Mathin Singh of Kharangal was on her way to Chilli area in Bhalessa when strong wave in the river swept her away.

An Indian Army man was killed at the Srinagar airport area in a house collapse.

Two bodies, one of a civilian and another of an Army man, were recovered on the Srinagar-Jammu National Highway. Divisional Commissioner Basharat Ahmad Dhar told The Hindu that two CRPF personnel were injured when their temporary shed collapsed.

Snow cutters were pressed into service on a war footing and express directives given to clear the runway at the airport here. Power supply, disrupted for the past 24 hours in the whole of the Valley, was restored for emergency and essential services and work to restore it in other areas was on.

“We have restored the 320 KV transmission line between Jammu and Srinagar and other minor lines and receiving stations have also been toned up,” Mr. Dhar said.

Fearing trouble on account of snapping of electric wires, the authorities were trying to restore the power supply in a phased manner. There have been complaints from people that owing to disruption in power supply, water was not available.

As snow accumulated on all major and minor routes there was no movement of traffic on roads. In the afternoon, after the sun came out, water-logging was reported in many areas.●