3 foreigners go missing from Gulmarg

Under severe criticism following the snow tsunami, a new crisis seems to be snowballing for the Mufti Mohammed Sayeed Government: Three foreign tourists have gone missing from a Gulmarg health resort and it is being feared that they might have crossed over to the Pakistan-occupied side of Kashmir.

The trio, said to be obsessed with skiing and snow-boarding, went missing from their hotel on Friday after they enquired about Apparvat, one of the highest mountain ranges around Gulmarg. Beyond Apparvat range lies the Line of Control. No official word could be obtained on their disappearance, as authorities remained tight-lipped on the issue.

On Friday afternoon, Stevie K from Canada and Mikkd Husman and Teemu Myllynen, both from Finland, had told staffers of Asian Green that they were going on a six-day trip and that nobody should look for them.

8216;8216;They were in full skiing gear and had taken adequate packet food items, biscuits, besides ropes, skis and small gas stoves,8217;8217; said Abdul Hamid, a ski instructor.

The trio had arrived at snow-bound Gulmarg a few weeks ago and went for daily treks, hotel staff and police said.