A man rides a scooter carrying a child through snow in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Thursday. AP
Deep snow blocked some roads and damaged power lines, disrupting life in the region, besides air traffic being hit. The Met forecasts rain starting Thursday night and continuing on Friday.
The maximum temperature in Srinagar is 7˚C, while as it is -1˚C in the hill station of Gulmarg.
Most areas of the valley have plunged into darkness since last night with 330 KV transmission line disrupted due to snowfall.
"Work is on to restore the 330 KV transmission line that supplies electricity to 200 feeders, 70 per cent of the work has been completed and it is just a matter of a few hours when electricity will be fully restored," District Magistrate, Srinagar, Shahid Chowdhary said.
Snow clearance machines kept on standby have been pressed into service. However, the snow has not been cleared from most of the roads.
Civil administrator Baser Khan said two porters working with the Indian army slipped into a deep gorge in frontier Kupwara bordering Pakistan-controlled Kashmir.
He said efforts were underway to retrieve their bodies.
Another man working with the electricity department died in Srinagar, the region's main city while trying to restore power supplies, which have been disrupted. He fell off a pole, dying on the spot, officials said.
The snow caused large scale damage to apple trees, the mainstay of the region's economy. Roads were treacherous and mostly empty.
While the snowfall was moderate in the plains of Kashmir, heavy snowfall at higher elevations disrupted flights.
An official of the airport authority of India said all incoming and outgoing flights at Srinagar airport were canceled Thursday.
Weather forecasts called for moderate to heavy snowfall and rains in the region.
"The snowfall will continue till Friday morning," said weatherman Sonam Lotus.
Agencies
Agencies