India: Thousands feared dead in avalanches and extreme cold

Helicopters dropped food, medicine and blankets to avalanche-hit villages in the divided Himalayan region of Kashmir on today, while soldiers recovered at least 40 more bodies as the death toll from the worst weather in years neared 300.

Freezing temperatures also have killed hundreds of people throughout mountainous regions of Pakistan and Afghanistan, with at least one official saying the toll could be in the thousands with many villages cut off by snow and landslides.

Canada’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Christopher Alexander, said several thousands may have died, highlighting the continued poverty of Afghans and their government’s weakness three years after the fall of the Taliban.

Helicopters have been dropping food, blankets and other emergency supplies on remote villages across snow-covered Kashmir, which has been divided between India and Pakistan since soon after their independence from British rule in 1947.

Forecasters said the worst of the weather appears to be over but that snowfall may continue for a few days, while officials warned that warmer temperatures increase the risk of avalanches.

The number of dead in Kashmir stood at 282 today. In Pakistan-controlled portions of the region, officials said at least 58 people died in the past two weeks, most in avalanches. In Indian-controlled Kashmir 226 people have been killed since Friday, with 150 others missing.