Eleven people, including three children, and 5,000 cattle have been killed in the past week by avalanches, a police spokesman said.

He said so far 10,000 nomadic shepherds, who had been grazing their cattle in areas of the storm, had been rescued and some sent for medical treatment.

Defence ministry officials said Indian troops would rush out 20,000 more nomads trapped in mountain passes of four southern Kashmir districts.

Heavy snow fell over several parts of the insurgency-torn state this summer for the first time in 20 years.

TERRA.WIRE