Sonia's chopper fails to land due to bad weather

Congress president Sonia Gandhi, who is in Kashmir to take stock of the situation in the avalanche-hit areas of the valley, on Wednesday cancelled a meeting after her chopper failed to land at Khanabal.

Gandhi was scheduled to address a gathering in Khanabal.
 
She then carried out an aerial survey of the avalanche-hit areas in Anantnag district, official sources said.

Also see: IAF rescue over 24,000 in J&K

Gandhi is also scheduled to conduct aerial survey in Poonch district and discuss the situation later in the day with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed in Jammu.

Heavy snowfall and avalanches have claimed over 200

lives in the Valley.

Earlier, the Congress president on her arrival at the Srinagar airport on Wednesday morning was briefed by senior army commanders and officers of civil administration about the relief and rescue operations.

Gandhi was accompanied by Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Chief of Army Staff General J J Singh.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, his deputy Mangat Ram Sharma and Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad received Gandhi at the airport.

Also see: Snow crisis: Mufti under fire