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Today in History: Thursday, January 16

1995: Avalanches bury busses in Kashmir, India

On January 16, 1995, avalanches swept two buses off the narrow highway between Srinagar and Jammu in the Indian province of Kashmir, an area beset by years of war between India and Pakistan. Two more days of avalanches in the area, the foothills of the Himalayas, made for a death toll exceeding 200. Most of those who died had been riding in busses. Avalanches and snowdrifts also blocked the road in several places, leaving more than 5,000 motorists stranded 7,000 feet above sea level. Four hundred people were trapped in the 1.5 mile long Jawahar tunnel for several days. Although India had close to 500,000 soldiers in the area, the relief was slow in coming, and some people died of exposure. An official inquiry later blamed poor communication for the delayed response to this disaster.