Massive avalanche hits J&K's Sonamarg; Uttarakhand also issues warnings
What's the story
A massive avalanche struck the tourist resort of Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir's Ganderbal district on Tuesday night. The incident occurred at around 10:12pm engulfing buildings and parts of the resort area. However, no casualties or injuries were reported. The district administration had issued a warning about a potential high-intensity avalanche just a day before the incident, PTI reported.
J&k
Snowfall began late Monday night
The avalanche occurred as fresh snowfall in Kashmir disturbed normal life. The Jammu-Srinagar national highway was closed, and all flights from Srinagar airport were cancelled, leaving hundreds of tourists stuck in the valley. Snowfall began late Monday night, blanketing much of the region. Officials stated National Highway 44 was closed due to high snow accumulation near the Navyug tunnel in Qazigund and the Banihal segment.
Twitter Post
Video captures avalanche
Initial reports indicate a high-intensity avalanche in the Sonamarg area.
— Kashmir Weather (@Kashmir_Weather) January 27, 2026
The avalanche occurred near the stretch where Inter Mountain Sonamarg and Sonamarg Inn Hotels are located, with some impact reported in the surrounding area.
No casualties or injuries have been reported so… pic.twitter.com/XgQREBdtZP
Avalanche warning
Uttarakhand on high alert after fresh snowfall
Meanwhile, in Uttarakhand, authorities have issued avalanche warnings for several high-altitude regions after fresh snowfall. This is the second spell of heavy snowfall in the state within a week. The Uttarakhand State Disaster Management Authority has put all districts on alert considering the current conditions. A forecast from Chandigarh-based Defence Geo-Informatics Research Establishment (DGRE) predicted snowfall and avalanche activity in various high-altitude areas till Wednesday evening.
Avalanche risk
Districts under orange and yellow alerts
Intermittent snowfall has been observed in Badrinath, Kedarnath, and the higher reaches of Uttarkashi since Monday night. Chakrata and Auli also witnessed fresh snow, attracting tourists. The DGRE warning placed Uttarkashi, Chamoli, and Rudraprayag under an "orange" alert due to unstable snow cover with a high probability of natural avalanches. Pithoragarh was categorized as "yellow," indicating limited avalanche risk. In light of the orange alert, schools up to Class 12 were shut in several districts, including Dehradun.