An avalanche hit Jammu and Kashmir’s Bandipora district on Saturday, trapping five people, who were later rescued.

The avalanche occurred in Chrawan area of Ajas in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district early on Saturday morning, disaster management department officials said here.

They said five persons were trapped under the snow, prompting authorities to launch a search and rescue operation.

“All the five people were rescued by a joint team of police and Army,” the officials said.

Two engineers killed in landslide

In another incident, two engineers of a private company engaged in construction of 1,000-MW Pakal Dul hydroelectric project were killed in a landslide in Jammu and Kashmir’s Kishtwar district, officials said on Saturday.

The deceased were identified as senior mechanical engineer Gurmeet Singh and resident electric engineer Vijay Gupta, residents of Jammu and Kathua respectively, they said.

The landslide occurred on Friday evening near Ikhala-Bhandarkot in Dachan tehsil, 45 km from Kishtwar town, the officials said.

The bodies of the engineers, who were working with Jaypee Group, were recovered from the spot, eight kilometers from the construction site late on Friday night, they said.

“They were part of a team working to restore the road link to the residential quarters. After having lunch, they returned to the site and were hit by boulders which rolled down from the hillock along with mud, trapping them,” a company official said.

He said a rescue operation was launched after a shepherd alerted them.

A police official said the bodies were brought to the district hospital in Kishtwar on Saturday morning and later handed over to their families after completion of legal formalities.