Avalanche kills 1 Russian skier in Indian Kashmir

SRINAGAR, India – Police say a Russian skier was killed by an avalanche that hit the Gulmarg tourist resort in the Indian portion of Kashmir.

Police spokesman Manoj Kumar Pandit says four other Russian skiers from the group were rescued from the slopes of Gulmarg, nearly 50 kilometers (30 miles) west of Srinagar, the main city in the Indian Kashmir. The avalanche hit on Friday.

Mehmood Ahmad Shah, the state tourism director, says the Russians ignored an advisory to stay away from the avalanche-prone area.

Avalanches and landslides are common in Himalayan Kashmir. Last month, 11 people were killed after their vehicle was hit by an avalanche in Kupwara district.