Avalanche kills Swedish skier

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Jan 18: An avalanche at Gulmarg ski resort in North Kashmir killed a Swedish skier today while another was rescued by the Ski patrol team.
The avalanche struck Affarwat overlooking Gulmarg bowl trapping two Swedish skiers Daniel Akesson, 25 and Benjamin Asbers, 24.
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Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Gulmarg Development Authority (GDA), Syed Hanief Balkhi told Excelsior that the skiers were buried under an avalanche in Gulmarg. He said that the rescue teams were sent to the location and both of them were rescued but one of them, Daniel Akesson, was declared brought dead at the hospital.
SSP Baramulla, Imtiaz Hussain said that they had gone out of the slope into a dangerous zone which is not secured by the Ski patrol team.
He said that the avalanche was triggered by their skiing and it swept away and trapped them. He said that Ski patrol team was sent to the area and it rescued one of them but the other one was dead.
Gulmarg experienced fresh snowfall yesterday and Affarwat mountains where they had gone for skiing in the morning had recorded 6 inches of fresh snow yesterday.
The Divisional Administration had issued avalanche warning last evening in the hills of Kashmir after fresh snowfall but these skiers ignored the warning. However, the slopes of Gulmarg are being cleared in the morning by the Ski patrol team before the allow skiers to go up the mountains for skiing.
And administration here issued fresh avalanche warning today on the basis of information received from Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE). “Low Danger Avalanche Warning exists in higher reaches of Anantnag, Kulgam, Budgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Kargil, Leh”, read the warning.
Eleven persons died near Sadhna Top on January 5 after snow avalanches hit the road sweeping vehicles along. This is the second avalanche tragedy this year.
And Kashmir valley remained in the grip of cold wave conditions with night temperatures staying below zero degree Celsius.
Srinagar recorded a low of minus 2.0 degrees Celsius, 2 degree up from previous night’s 3.6 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperature was recorded at 11.2 degrees Celsius, which is 4.8 degrees Celsius above normal.
The night temperature in Qazigund, in South Kashmir, stayed at a low of minus 0.4 degrees Celsius which is 4 degree Celsius up from previous night’s 4.4 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperature was recorded at 11.0 degrees Celsius, 4.7 degrees Celsius above normal.
Kokernag town recorded a low of 0.6 degrees Celsius, one degree down from previous night’s minus 0.8 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperature was recorded at 9.3 degrees Celsius, 4.8 degrees Celsius above normal.
Kupwara in North Kashmir recorded a low of minus 2.8 degrees Celsius up from previous night’s 3.7 degree Celsius. The maximum day temperature settled at 9.2 degrees Celsius, which is 2.6  degrees Celsius above normal.
Gulmarg recorded a low of minus 7.0 degrees Celsius, down from previous night’s minus 4.0 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperature settled at minus 1.3 degrees Celsius same as yesterday.
The night temperature in Pahalgam settled at minus 1.5 degrees Celsius last night, up from previous night’s 3.8 degrees Celsius. The maximum day temperature was recorded at 6.5 degrees Celsius, 2.5 degrees Celsius above normal.
Leh recorded a low of minus 6.9 degrees Celsius last night, up from previous night’s minus 13.6 degrees Celsius while the maximum day temperature settled at 7.9  degrees Celsius, up from yesterday’s 5.2 degrees Celsius.
Kargil recorded at minus 19.3 degrees Celsius last night, down from previous night’s minus 19.0 degrees Celsius while the maximum day temperature settled at minus 1.2 degrees Celsius.

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