2 killed in J&K avalanche as rain, snowfall lash north India

New Delhi/Srinagar/Shimla :Rain and snowfall lashed many parts of north India on Tuesday, with two people getting killed in an avalanche in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said.

Many areas of Delhi received heavy rains and hail, leading to waterlogging and the traffic being thrown out of gear at major intersections.

The National Capital Region was plunged into darkness in the morning. Rainfall overnight and more rain in the morning inconvenienced office-goers.

In Jammu and Kashmir, a 12-year-old girl was among the two persons who died after an avalanche struck a mountain village in Ramban district, officials said, adding that two women were reportedly missing.

Helicopter and ropeway services were shut due to snowfall and bad weather conditions at the Vaishno Devi shrine in Reasi district, an official said.

Rains lashed the plains while higher reaches of Kashmir witnessed fresh snowfall for the second day in the Valley.

The Jammu-Srinagar national highway -- the only all-weather road linking Kashmir with the rest of the country -- after an avalanche blocked both tubes of the Jawahar tunnel on the Qazigund side at 4.25 am, police said.

Shimla and other tourist places in Himachal Pradesh like Manali, Kufri and Narkanda received heavy snowfall since the early hours of the day, said Manmohan Singh, director, Meteorological Centre, Shimla.

Cold-wave conditions intensified across the state as widespread rain and snowfall occurred during the past 24 hours.

Light-to-moderate rain and snowfall are expected at some places on Wednesday as well, the meteorological department said.

Rains also lashed most parts of Punjab and Haryana, with Pathankot being the wettest place with 94 mm of rainfall, an official said.

In Rajasthan, western disturbances triggered rains in parts of the state. Alwar received the maximum rain at 14.1 mm, while Barmer was hit by a hailstorm on Monday night.