Srinagar: Four members of a family died on Wednesday as an avalanche buried their house in Gurez sector near the Line of Control in Kashmir Valley while an army officer has been reported missing following an avalanche near his camp in Sonamarg area in Ganderbal district, a media report said.

A police official said rescue teams are making efforts to trace the officer of the rank of Major, the report added. In a separate incident, an avalanche struck at Badoogam village in Tulail area of Gurez in the wee hours and buried the house of Mehraj-ud-Din Lone, a police official was quoted by the report to have said.  He added, according to the report, the house collapsed under the debris of the avalanche resulting in the sdeath of 55-year-old Lone, his wife Azizi (50), 22-year-old son Irfan and daughter Gulshan (19).

Lone’s another son, Reyaz Ahmad, was rescued by the authorities and admitted to a hospital, the official told the news agency.

The authorities in Kashmir have issued avalanche warning for higher reaches of the Valley following fresh snowfall yesterday and advised people to stay away from the mountains and foothills.