Labourer missing, 2 tourists rescued in Sonamarg

Ganderbal, June 2: A local labourer went missing while two tourists were rescued after a portion of Thajwas glacier broke on Sunday afternoon.

An official said that a tourist couple was rescued while a local labourer working as a sledge-rider in Sonamarg has gone missing after a portion of the glacier near Thajwas Sonamarg collapsed, apparently due to the rising temperatures.

He said three persons including two tourists and a local fell into a snow cavity after a portion of the glacier broke while on a visit to Thajiwas glacier in Sonamarg.

“Both the tourists were rescued while the local is still missing and a search operation was launched by Police, SDRF, Wildlife Department, Army, and Tourism Police along with local volunteers. However, the local person remains untraced,” the official said.

This is the second such incident in Sonamarg in less than 10 days.

On May 25, a male tourist from Maharashtra died while his wife got injured when the duo accidentally fell into a snow cavity after a portion of the glacier in Sonamarg broke suddenly.

The locals have urged the administration to take measures to avoid such mishaps.