Srinagar: At least seven people were killed and five others injured after several vehicles were buried under snow due to an avalanche at Zojila Pass, zero point in Jammu and Kashmir’s Ganderbal district, about 70 km north of Srinagar.A senior police officer said the vehicles were moving from Srinagar towards Kargil when the avalanche occurred around 3 pm on Friday. Police and rescue teams used JCBs to clear snow and rescue the stranded passengers, including five injured. Rescue workers recovered seven bodies, while two people were still missing when last reports came in. All seven deceased were residents of Kargil district in Ladakh, an official said.On receiving the information, senior officials of Ladakh including Executive Councilor of Ladakh Autonomous Hill Development Council Mohammad Jafar Akhun reached the spot.Zojila Pass previously remained closed for about five months during winter, leaving Ladakh cut off from the rest of the country. However, with better technology, advanced snow-clearing equipment and better planning, the pass remained open throughout this winter, except for four days, which the Border Roads Organization described as a significant strategic and logistical achievement.