No one died in avalanche, rescue work on: Himachal

The Himachal Pradesh government has dismissed media reports about an avalanche claiming the lives of seven people in the region of Kinnaur on Wednesday morning.

Talking to rediff.com from Kinnaur, Deputy Commissioner of Police J S Pathania said that not a single life had been lost due to the avalanche.

"The snow avalanche hit the region at 7.10 am. Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to the affected areas. According to our information, of the seven people who were trapped in the snow avalanche, three have been successfully rescued and our teams are in touch with the other four. They will be rescued soon and rushed to hospitals," Pathania said.

There has been no improvement in the weather condition in the area, he said.

"Electricity supply has been disrupted. Water pipes have frozen. Heavy snowfall continues. We had four feet of snowfall this morning," he said.

Commissioner of State Tourism Department S Panda said the state government would take necessary measures to overcome the difficulties faced by the local people.