Skiing resumed in Gulmarg on Thursday with fresh standard operating procedures a day after two skiers from Poland were killed when an avalanche hit a group of skiers at Hapatkhud Kangdori in the upper reaches of Kashmir’s resort town.
Wasil Krzysztof Jerzy and Grzech Adam Roman, both in their early 40s, were part of three teams of 21 foreign skiers and two local guides when the avalanche hit. They were killed while 19 others were rescued.
Assistant director (tourism) Javaidur Rehman said the 21-member skier group was beyond the marked area when the avalanche hit them even as the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority issued an avalanche warning.
“There was an avalanche warning and these skiers went beyond the marked area at their own risk, “ he said. He said there are at least 300 skiers in Gulmarg.
In January, Gulmarg received over 10 feet of snow in four spells. This week, it received over two feet of snow. Two labourers were last month killed in an avalanche in Sonmarg. In February 2010, an avalanche left 17 soldiers dead near Gulmarg.