A snow avalanche hit Washich village in Torkhow valley of Upper Chitral the other night. Rain had lashed the pasture for three days and caused the huge mass of snow to come down. However, there was no casualty.
Qazi Inayat, a villager, reported by phone that the Chitral snow avalanche passed through the deep stream of Washich village. It was so intense that it crossed the Chitral River to Zang Lusht village on the other side.
He said it did not cause any damage to life or homes and agricultural lands. All of the debris drained through the stream.
Mr Inayat said the avalanche debris had filled the stream to its capacity. As a result the village faces a high risk of being overrun by another avalanche of even small mass. This is a concern during the current week as the melting process was very slow.
The village is highly prone to snow avalanches as steep mountains and ridges stand close to the upper belt of the village.
SUMMIT COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — Two backcountry snowboarders who allegedly triggered a snow avalanche near the Eisenhower Tunnel last March are now responding with a first-of-its-kind court motion.
Evan Hannibal and Tyler DeWitt are being charged with a single misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment and are being ordered to pay $168,000 in restitution.
However, the pair is claiming the Colorado Avalanche Information Center (CAIC) violated their Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights.
In a motion filed Wednesday attorney Jason Flores-Williams alleges the Go-Pro video being used by prosecutors as evidence should never have been handed over to Summit County prosecutors.
The attorney says his clients gave the video to the CAIC in good faith, not knowing it was going to be used against them as evidence.
“He (Hannibal) believed he was contributing to overall knowledge of snow avalanches. It’s now being used to prosecute. You need to tell them, ‘What we’re using could be used against you,’” Flores-Williams explained.
Flores-Williams believes what happens in the case could have implications that extend far beyond Colorado. He believes his clients are being made an example.
“This is absolutely ridiculous. We’re fighting this message being sent that going forward skiing and backcountry life might be criminalized. What we’re doing here is defending the backcountry and this has implications throughout the entire Mountain West,” he explained.
Nobody was injured in the avalanche. However, a service road used primarily by transportation workers was buried under about 20 feet of snow. Expensive avalanche mitigation equipment was also destroyed.
District Attorney Bruce Brown plans to respond to the motion in court. He released this statement to FOX31:
“Information voluntarily surrendered without coercion enables prosecutors to use that information in court. I am unaware of any express or implied limitation that was placed on information obtained during the law enforcement investigation that would undermine that principal. It is important that every person charged with a crime have an opportunity to fully litigate all legal issues before a judge and have their guilt determined by an impartial jury of their peers.”
A trial is scheduled for late March.
Snow avalanche on I-70 which buried the service road
MANALI: A snow avalanche on the Manali-Atal tunnel highway beyond the Solang valley blocked the highway for nearly one hour on Sunday evening. Border Roads Organization (BRO) cleared the avalanche debris, after which the highway was opened. Fortunately, there was no vehicular movement when the avalanche hit the highway.
Tourists are not being allowed to go towards Atal Tunnel as the area has received very heavy snow. Only local residents are being allowed to use the Tunnel.
Tourist movement in Solang valley is restricted. The area between Solang and Atal Tunnel is prone to avalanches. Avalanche control structures are proposed to be built at some high-risk zones but only two such structures have been built so far.
Snow and avalanche study establishment (SASE) issued avalanche warning for five districts of Himachal.
Five passengers stranded at Zojila pass, after a snow avalanche hit the region, has been rescued by Border Roads Organizations (BRO) on Sunday.
The Project Beacon of Border Roads Organizations (BRO) on Sunday rescued the passengers from Srinagar-Sonmarg road. Vehicles were also evacuated from here and the road was opened for traffic later.
It is noted that a four-member committee has been constituted for the management of the opening and closure of Zojila pass this month. Divisional Commissioners of Kashmir, Ladakh, Ganderbal, and Kargil are members of the committee. (ANI)
Srinagar-Leh highway perilous for travelers
Four persons traveling in a Xylo car on way to Kargil from Sonamarg had a narrow escape when their vehicle came under a massive avalanche near India Gate on Zojila Pass on Saturday.
The four had set out on the journey after some light motor vehicles were allowed to move on the highway which was reopened for traffic after five days on Saturday. However, soon the highway was again closed.
As they reached near India Gate on Zojila Pass a massive avalanche hurtled down burying their car, sources said. “Luckily, few workers of border roads organization who were carrying the snow clearance work on the highway saw the incident and immediately a joint rescue operation of Drass police and BRO was started,” sources said. After hectic efforts by the rescue team, all the four including the driver were rescued safely and the cab was pulled out from the snow. The rescue operation continued till late night and was monitored by SDM Drass Asgar Ali, SHO Drass Manzoor Ahmed and BRO officials.
The strategic 434 Km long Srinagar-Leh highway, which is the lifeline for Ladakh and its socioeconomic development, connects the region with rest of Jammu and Kashmir. The road remains closed for about five months during winters as the area from Sonamarg-Drass along the highway receives heavy snowfall. Come winters, one can see the chaos and confusion that always prevails on the Srinagar-Leh highway due to snowfall, slippery road conditions, traffic jams and the dangerous snow avalanches that occur anytime.
Due to the pandemic, the authorities on the recommendations of the Ladakh UT administration this winter decided to keep open the Srinagar-Leh highway till maximum possible time to stock up essential commodities in Ladakh. “However the situation emerging after the recent snowfall and the road conditions prevailing can be a death trap for the travelers,” sources said.
Sub divisional magistrate, Drass, Asgar Ali told Greater Kashmir that it was a miraculous escape for the four persons. “The light motor vehicles were allowed from Sonamarg to Kargil on Sunday and the road is connected, but the sudden snow slides triggered by heavy winds remain a concern and challenge. In winters the chances of snow avalanche caused by heavy winds are more and it puts the life of travellers as well as the people working on highway at risk,” the SDM said, adding that to keep the highway open during winters is risky as well as challenging.
Meanwhile, a traffic advisory issued today said that subject to fair weather and good road condition, only one-way traffic from Kargil towards Srinagar shall be allowed on Srinagar-Sonamarg-Gumari road. “LMVs (shall be allowed) from Minamarg followed by HMVs between 0830 hrs to 1400 hrs. No vehicle shall be allowed after cut off time; the vehicles may carry anti-skid chain to gain more grip on the slippery road. Security forces shall follow the same schedule. No vehicle shall be allowed from Gagangir towards Sonamarg between 1800 hrs to 0900 hrs due to slippery condition of the road.”
