Massive avalanche hits J&K’s Sonmarg; chilling video shows moment of impact

The incident unfolded at 10.12 pm on Tuesday when massive volumes of snow rushed down towards hotels and residential buildings in Sonamarg’s Sarbal area.

2 min readNew DelhiJan 28, 2026 10:06 AM IST

The Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory Disaster Management Authority (JKUTDMA) had issued an avalanche warning in 11 districts

Amid the extreme temperatures in Jammu and Kashmir, a massive avalanche swept through the Sarbal area in Sonamarg Tuesday night. A video that has since gone viral captured the moment the snow rushed towards houses and other structures in the region.

However, officials said there were no reports of injuries or fatalities. According to PTI, the incident unfolded at 10.12 pm, with massive volumes of snow cascading down toward nearby hotels and residential buildings.

Watch here:

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The Jammu & Kashmir Union Territory Disaster Management Authority (JKUTDMA) had issued an avalanche warning in 11 districts, including a high-danger warning for areas above 2,000 metres in Ganderbal district. A medium-danger warning was issued in areas above 2,000 metres in Anantnag, Bandipora, Baramulla, Kulgam and Kupwara in Kashmir, and Doda, Kishtwar, Poonch, Rajouri and Ramban in Jammu.

The area was already placed under a high-intensity avalanche warning on Monday after continuous snowfall hit the valley. Heavy snowfall across Kashmir on Tuesday also caused major travel disruptions. The Jammu–Srinagar national highway was closed, and all flights at Srinagar airport were cancelled, leaving several tourists stranded, the report added.

Meanwhile, the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) rescued 60 people, including 40 Army personnel, stranded at the Chattergala Pass along the Bhaderwah-Chamba Road in Jammu and Kashmir’s hilly Doda district, which was buried under 5-6 feet of snow following heavy snowfall on January 23. The BRO’s clearance operation lasted nearly 40 hours.

Last week, 10 Army soldiers were killed and 11 others injured in the area when their bulletproof vehicle skidded off the road and fell into a gorge at Khanni Top at an altitude of 9,000 feet along the Bhaderwah-Chamba Road.