Agence France Presse

Srinagar, February 21:

The death toll from avalanches in Kashmir since Saturday rose to 105 after 25 more bodies were recovered today from four villages in southern Anantnag district, officials said.

Four more bodies were recovered from other areas. Scores of people are missing after the heaviest snowfall in two decades caused the avalanches and brought the region to a near-halt, the officials said. Army rescue and medical teams were searching for survivors. Police said over 1,000 houses have been damged by the snow so far.

“It’s the heaviest snowfall in two decades,” GK Mohanti, head of the state meteorological department, said. A government spoke-sman said, weather permitting, the Indian Air Force would conduct five sorties today to airlift vegetables and others essentials to Srinagar. Police said over 1,500 people were still stranded along a snowbound highway between Srinagar and Jammu.