On February 21, a medium danger level avalanche warning was issued for Baramulla district in Jammu and Kashmir

"According to media reports, on February 22, 2024, approx at 2 pm, 7 Russia’n nationals came under an avalanche at the ski resort in Gulmarg, J & K. One skier died, six others were rescued as a result of the joint operation of India’n Armed Forced & regional administration," the Russian embassy in India posted on its X handle

Paramedic and volunteers transported the body of a Russian skier to a hospital in Tangmarg, near Gulmarg

As the news of the avalanche broke, a joint effort was initiated by the Gulmarg Ski Patrol of the Tourism Department, police and the Army to rescue the trapped skiers

The avalanche struck the Khilan Marg on Afarwat Peak near the Army Ridge at around 2 pm, trapping several skiers under its debris. According to police, the group of seven Russians and a local guide ventured into a non-ski zone in the  Army Ridge area, which is avalanche prone, reported PTI

"There was an avalanche warning but they still ventured into that zone and unfortunately one skier died," Gulmarg police station SHO Haroon Kar said, reported PTI

Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir is a avalanche prone area. The last avalanche in Gulmarg was in February last year, when two Polish skiers were killed and over a dozen were rescued

Security personnel patrolling the ski resort of Gulmarg in the the heavy snowfall on Thursday