Avalanche kills 15 in India

[boardman]

Avalanche kills 15 soldiers in Kashmir
Mukhtar Ahmad CNN
February 8, 2010 8:21 a.m. EST

Srinagar, India (CNN) -- An avalanche struck an army training camp in Indian-controlled Kashmir on Monday, killing 15 troopers and injuring 17 others, and Indian army spokesman said.

Rescue crews were working in heavy snowfall to reach two other Indian soldiers who remained missing, an army spokesman said.

The soldiers were among 350 training to survive high altitudes in the ski resort of Gulmarg, about 10,000 feet above sea level and 27 miles (45 km) northwest of Srinagar.

The massive avalanche followed three days of heavy snowfall.

The Indian army trains soldiers every winter at the high-altitude school. Blizzards and avalanches are common in the area.

Gulmarg sits close to the Line of Control, which separates the Himalayan region -- one part controlled by India and the other by Pakistan.

Kashmir has been the source of bitter dispute and two wars between the two neighbors.

CNN's Harmeet Shah Singh contributed to this report.

[yuckster]

samtheman has been (was?) out in Gulmarg lately, and reported that in some areas, the entire snowpack had turned to facets. Looks like the drought finally ended. Nasty stuff.

[Dan9]

Originally Posted by yuckster

... that in some areas, the entire snowpack had turned to facets.

Very scary.

[boardman]

Originally Posted by yuckster

samtheman has been (was?) out in Gulmarg lately, and reported that in some areas, the entire snowpack had turned to facets. Looks like the drought finally ended. Nasty stuff.

damn, I'd forgotten he was out there! One of the recent Skiing mag issues had something on Gulmarg (saying basically that the security threat was overstated, and it was a great place to go).