28-Mar-2026

The tragedy on Friday between Kargil and Srinagar, where an avalanche took away the lives of seven people, including women and children, while they were travelling through the Zojila Pass, is heartbreaking. The pass is one of the most critical sectors along the road from Srinagar to Kargil, winding through high mountains and steep gradients, where even in summer months, journeys on this route are precarious and heart-thumping. In 2004, there was a regimented and strictly monitored movement on this stretch, where vehicles from Srinagar had to wait at Gumri until the last vehicle coming from Kargil reached this point. The road then was so small that if a vehicle broke down, the rest in the convoy had to wait until the stranded vehicle was made serviceable again.

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The rescue operation

This critical mountain road, which connects Kashmir with Kargil and Leh, possesses its charm, but it can be daunting for those who are not brave enough to face the terrifying sight of steep mountains tapering down into scary gorges. I recall a time in this sector when my sumo driver terrified me with his reckless driving, requiring constant reminders to avoid recklessness and carelessness, as the margin of error that could lead to death was extremely narrow. During the Kargil War, the Indian army deployed Bofors guns by manoeuvring them through this pass.