Heavy snowfall kills 3 people in Himalayan Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India – Heavy snowfall killed at least three people in Himalayan Kashmir on Thursday, leaving the region paralyzed, officials said.

Deep snow blocked some roads and damaged power lines, disrupting life in the disputed region.

Civil administrator Baser Khan said two porters working with the Indian army slipped into a deep gorge in frontier Kupwara bordering Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.

He said efforts were underway to retrieve their bodies.

Another man working with the electricity department died in Srinagar, the region’s main city while trying to restore power supplies, which have been disrupted. He fell off a pole, dying on the spot, officials said.

The snow caused large scale damage to apple trees, the mainstay of the region’s economy.

Roads were treacherous and mostly empty.

While the snowfall was moderate in the plains of Kashmir, heavy snowfall at higher elevations disrupted flights.

An official of the airport authority of India said all incoming and outgoing flights at Srinagar airport were cancelled Thursday.

Weather forecasts called for moderate to heavy snowfall and rains in the region.

“The snowfall will continue till Friday morning,” said weatherman Sonam Lotus.