The Pirpanjal mountain range in the western Himalayas is a popular skiing destination for both Indians and foreigners.
IDAHO SNOWBOARDER INJURED IN WYOMING AVALANCHE, SWEPT 600 FEET INTO DEATH CANYON
An ambulance leaves with the bodies of two foreign skiers who were killed in an avalanche in Indian-controlled Kashmir, on Feb. 1, 2023. (AP Photo/Umar Mehraj)
In 2010, at least 17 Indian soldiers were killed after an avalanche hit the Indian army’s High Altitude Warfare School in Gulmarg during a training session.
Avalanches and landslides are common in Kashmir and have caused heavy death tolls for the Indian and Pakistani armies camped near the mountainous and forested militarized Line of Control that divides Kashmir between the nuclear-armed rivals.
In 2017, at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in three avalanches, and in 2012 a massive avalanche in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir killed 140 people, including 129 Pakistani soldiers.