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Three missing foreign tourists rescued in Kashmir

          Gulmarg (Jammu and Kashmir): Three foreign tourists, who went missing from the skiing resort of Gulmarg, have been rescued. The three tourists included a Dutch woman and two Israelis. They were missing since Tuesday due to heavy snowfall and avalanches in the area. Officials said they were rescued in good health though inclement weather condition and heavy snowfall in Gulmarg and higher reaches hampered the rescue mission. "It was a challenge for all of us. Our rescue teams acted very tactfully and we managed to rescue them," said Rasheed Ahmad, tourist officer of Gulmag. The tourist said they took shelter inside a residence of a tribal family living there. They thanked the police and others who rescued them. "They took it very seriously. It was very well organised. Thanks to the government, the army and the border police. It was amazing to see so many people try to help us," said Ido Niger, an Israeli tourist. Gulmarg, the bowl shaped plateau at an altitude of 8,500 feet in the Pir Panjal ranges, attracts lot of tourists to enjoy various winter sports. Thirty-two miles from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir, Gulmarg due to its natural slopes and inclines is viewed as the country's premier ski resort.
-March 2,  2007