A powerful avalanche thundered down the mountains near the popular tourist destination of Sonamarg in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday night, sending shockwaves through the area but miraculously leaving everyone safe, officials said.

The incident occurred around 10.12 pm in Ganderbal district of central Kashmir. Visuals captured on surveillance cameras show a massive surge of snow cascading down the slope and ploughing into structures located along its route.

Despite the intensity of the snow slide and visible damage in the footage, authorities confirmed that no casualties have been recorded so far. Disaster response teams and local officials rushed to the site soon after the incident to survey the area and monitor potential secondary risks.

The avalanche followed widespread snowfall that disrupted daily life across the Kashmir Valley. Key transport links were hit hard, with the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway shut down and all flight operations suspended at Srinagar airport, stranding hundreds of travellers.

Snowfall that began late Monday night covered large stretches of the region. Officials said heavy accumulation near the Navyug Tunnel at Qazigund and along the Banihal sector forced the closure of National Highway 44.

Air traffic was also severely affected. Srinagar International Airport cancelled all 58 scheduled flights for the day, including both arrivals and departures, after continuous snowfall made runway conditions unsafe.

Weather officials have predicted light to moderate rain or snow across most parts of Jammu and Kashmir, along with the possibility of gusty winds or thunderstorms in isolated areas. Similar conditions are expected to persist into Wednesday.

In the wake of the incident, the Jammu and Kashmir Disaster Management Authority issued avalanche alerts for 11 districts. Areas above 2,000 metres in Ganderbal are under a high-risk warning, while moderate-risk advisories have been issued for high-altitude zones in several districts across both Kashmir and Jammu divisions.

Authorities have urged residents and tourists to remain cautious, avoid avalanche-prone zones, and follow official advisories closely.