Sunday, February 20 2005 14:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: Fourteen people were feared killed and over 50 houses damaged in a series of avalanches in mountainous areas in the past two days in Jammu and Kashmir where the valley remained cut off from rest of the country for the fourth consecutive day today (Feb 20, 2005).

Over 1500 people were stranded on the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway, which was shut to vehicular traffic owing to landslides, triggered by the heaviest snowfall in the past two decades in the State.

It was still snowing and the stranded passengers had been provided accommodation, food and shelter.

A record 11 feet of snow accumulated at Jawahar tunnel on the highway and seven feet at tourist resort of Patnitop.

The pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine of Vaishno Devi, suspended yesterday (Feb 19, 2005) due to avalanches, resumed this morning as Ramban, Chanderkote and Surankote areas in Jammu region received snowfall for the first time.

Of the 14 feared killed, seven were workers engaged in snow clearing operations on the highway and Ladakh.

Eight women and seven children were among 37 people rescued by Army in Doda district where an avalanche struck 15 houses in village Kanderkote yesterday.

The incessant snowfall and avalanches damaged over 50 houses, uprooted trees, knocked out electric poles and snapped telecommunication links.