An avalanche hit the Sonamarg tourist resort in Jammu and Kashmir late Tuesday night, but officials stated that there was no loss of life. The avalanche struck Sonamarg in central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district at 10:12 pm on Tuesday. The incident was captured on CCTV footage showing the snow rushing down and engulfing buildings in its path.

What happened in Sonamarg? Watch video here

The avalanche hit the Sonamarg resort area at 10:12 pm and was described by officials as a massive slide that was recorded on CCTV, with snow covering the buildings. As per a report by PTI, the avalanche swept through the Sarbal area of Sonamarg, hitting vehicles and houses.

Despite the scale of the incident, officials stated that no casualties or injuries had been reported. Authorities had issued a high-intensity, high-danger avalanche warning for the district on Monday.

How has the snowfall affected travel, and what warning has been issued?

Officials have mentioned that Sonmarg and many parts of the valley received moderate to heavy snowfall over the last 24 hours. As per a report by NDTV, fresh snowfall on Tuesday has led to wider disruption, including the closure of the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway and the cancellation of all flights at Srinagar Airport, leaving many tourists stranded. National Highway 44 was shut down after snow accumulation near the Navyug tunnel at Qazigund and Banihal. Around 58 scheduled flights (29 arrivals and 29 departures) were cancelled as runway operations were affected by continuing snowfall.

As per a report by ANI, heavy to moderate snowfall has restarted in the Gandoh Bhalesa area of Doda district. The India Meteorological Department has predicted snowfall until January 29. The district administration has also appealed to people not to venture into hilly and high-altitude areas because of the risk of avalanches. Thousands of vehicles have been stranded on the Jammu-Sringar highway since Monday. Snow clearing work is currently underway in Anantnag’s Qazigund area. A truck driver, as quoted by ANI, urged for faster clearance, stating thousands of vehicles were stuck.

Airlines issues travel advisories

Meanwhile, airlines have also issued travel advisories. IndiGo, in a statement on social media, posted that snowfall is expected in Srinagar and Leh during the early hours, which may impact flight operations. The airline also has passengers check their flight status through its website or mobile app. The advisory also added that ground staff were available to assist flyers.

On a similar note, SpiceJet has also issued a travel advisory for January 28, warning that bad weather in Leh (IXL) could affect all arrivals, departures, and consequential flights. The airline has urged passengers to keep track of the flight status before heading to the airport.