February 21, 2003	Friday	Zul Hijjah 19, 1423

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MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 20: An avalanche buried four people in the snowbound Neelum valley and four others were killed and three injured after their houses collapsed in different parts of Azad Kashmir on Wednesday, officials said on Thursday.

The four people were trapped in snow in Danjar village on Wednesday. The bodies of the victims, whose identity could not be ascertained due to poor communication links with the valley, were recovered after hectic efforts late in the evening, officials said.

The main Neelum valley road is already closed to traffic for being in the range of India’s small arms fire.

Elsewhere, officials said a woman, identified as Malka Bibi, wife of Mushtaq Shah, and her daughter, Saira, died in Dab Sadwan village in the southernmost Bhimbher district after their house caved in on Wednesday night due to heavy rains.

A five-year old girl, Anita Yousaf, was killed and Ulfat Begum was critically wounded after their house collapsed in Indarla Kotehra village in district Kotli, Abdul, son of Anis, was killed by a landslide in a tehsil Sehansa village, in Kotli.