A 10-year-old child was killed and an elderly man seriously injured after a massive avalanche struck the Srinagar-Leh highway at Zoji La in Ladakh, burying multiple vehicles and blocking the strategic route.
Officials said at least 15 vehicles were partially or completely trapped under snow when the avalanche hit in the afternoon.
Rescue Operation Launched Across Agencies
A large-scale rescue operation has been launched involving the police, Army, Border Roads Organisation (BRO), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and district administrations of Sonamarg and Drass.
Men and machinery have been deployed to clear the highway and search for any individuals trapped beneath the snow.
Police said the avalanche struck vehicles at Captain-turn at Zojila Pass in Drass.
Casualties Confirmed, Toll May Rise
Sub-divisional magistrate Drass, Vishal Atri, confirmed one fatality and injuries to a senior citizen.
Heard the unfortunate news of an avalanche at Zoji La. I have directed the DC & SSP of Kargil to visit the spot immediately and mobilise relief and rescue operations.
All government agencies including disaster relief forces and BRO have been put on high alert.
I am personally…
— LG Ladakh (@lg_ladakh) March 27, 2026
“A 10-year-old child has died in the incident and a elderly man has been shifted from sub district hospital Drass to Kargil hospital for advanced treatment,” Atri said.
He added that the identity of the child is yet to be confirmed and indicated that the death toll could increase.
Search Operations From Both Sides Of Highway
Rescue efforts are being carried out simultaneously from both the Sonamarg side in Kashmir and the Drass side in Ladakh.
“A large stretch of the highway has been affected and when we reached the site we saw some 12-15 vehciles under the snow. We couldn’t go to the back side of the avalanche,” Atri said.
He said the administration coordinated with Beacon and the Army to initiate rescue operations from both ends.
Over 100 Personnel Deployed Amid Challenges
More than 100 personnel are involved in the operation, supported by snow clearance machines, ambulances, and teams from multiple agencies.
“More than 100 people will be involved in the rescue operation besides the snow clearance machines. There is police, SDRF, BRO, army ambulances and we have also taken help from personnel of Megha tunnel. The rescue operation from the Kashmir side was hindered owing to the traffic jam as there was an up-convoy from that side,” he said.
Operations Ongoing For Hours
Atri said rescue efforts had been underway for five hours since 1 pm and were expected to continue for another three to four hours.
