Bandipora, Mar 20:  Three persons were killed while two others were rescued from under heaps of snow as two avalanches struck Gurez area near the Line of Control in Bandipora district of Kashmir valley.
Three workers of Hindustan Construction Company HCC) died on the spot when the vehicle they were traveling in was trapped in an avalanche near Badwan in Gurez area.
The deceased were identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed, Shabir Ahmed of Khanpora, Baramulla and Zaffar Ahmed lone of Badwan, Gurez.
Two other persons who were trapped under the heaps of snow were rescued this afternoon. Heavy rains in the area had hampered the rescue efforts, an official of the Natural Disaster Management Cell said, adding that Air force helicopters were kept on standby for evacuating the injured.
A massive avalanche had struck 109 Infantry Brigade of the army in Dawar area of Gurez last month, killing 16 soldiers.

12 VILLAGES TO BE RELOCATED
GKNN Adds from Jammu: Twelve avalanche prone villages in Gurez area of Jammu and Kashmir would be relocated, the state government today said.
Rs 35 lakh have been released for purchase of land for resettlement of the 12 highly avalanche prone hamlets in Gurez area, Minister for Revenue Raman Bhalla said in the state Assembly in written reply to a question.
Land measuring three acres at Akal village have been identified for resettlement of the families in these villages which bear the brunt of frequent snow avalanches during winter, he said.
A proposal for rehabilitation of the families of these villages had been submitted to the Planning and Development department of the state government in 2010, he said.

SASE ISSUES WARNING
PTI Adds from Chandigarh: Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) here has issued high danger avalanche warning in Drass area of Jammu and Kashmir.
High danger avalanche warning exists in Drass area of J-K for the next 24 hours from 5 pm today, SASE said in a release here.
Medium danger avalanche warning exists during the same period in avalanche-prone areas of Bandipur-Gurez, where people have been advised not to venture in these areas.
SASE said that Drass had received a fresh spell of snowfall today.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Mar 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 20 Mar 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 21 Mar 2012 00:00:00 IST