MUZAFFARABAD, Feb 12: At least 46 people were killed in avalanches in different areas of Muzaffarabad district on Friday-Saturday night, officials said here on Saturday.

Muzaffarabad SSP Tahir Mahmood Qureshi told Dawn that the major incident occurred in Mayyatan Wali Seri village in northeastern Neelum valley where a glacier engulfed 18 of the 20 households early on Saturday morning.

"Nine houses were completely destroyed burying at least 33 inmates alive, mostly women and children," he said.

The isolated Mayyatan Wali Seri village is located some 150 kilometres from here at an altitude of 7,000 feet alongside a fair-weather road that links Neelum valley with Kaghan valley of the NWFP.

Initially, nearly a dozen police personnel launched rescue operation with the help of locals and recovered four wounded persons identified as Robina Bibi, Imam Deen, Munir Ahmed and Saeed and removed them to safer place after first aid, the SSP said.

However, continuously falling snow and fear of more avalanches disrupted their efforts for quite some time in an area where at least eight to 10 feet snow has been accumulated in the past one week, he added.

Till the filing of this report, 12 bodies, two of women and rest of children, had been recovered by the rescuers, who were later reinforced by around 40 army jawans. Rescue efforts had been stopped after dusk and would be resumed on Sunday.

The dead were identified as Hajra Bibi, wife of Bashir; Bibi Jan, wife of Lal Deen; Sakina, wife of Sikandar; Shahi, wife of Nazir Ahmed and children Safeer, Tanveer, Qadeer and Khadima; Zarina, wife of Fazlur Rehman and daughter Zara; Rahila Bibi, wife of Ferozuddin and daughter Saira Bibi; Perveen, wife of Ashraf and son Junaid; Zulekha Bibi, wife of Khurshid and daughters Shamim, Naheeda and Noreen; Mehndi Bibi, wife of Bagga and sons Jamil, Feroze and daughter Yasmeen.

Separately, in Khwaja Seri village of Neelum valley, some 95 kilometres from here, locals recovered the bodies of two women and four children on Saturday from beneath huge masses of snow. These people, the SSP said, had gone missing three days ago.

In the remotest Janawai village of the valley, some 200 kilometres from here, two people identified as Shah Jehan, son of Buland Khan and Roop Bibi, wife of Imtiaz, were killed when their house caved in overnight after being struck by an avalanche. Roop Bibi's husband was seriously wounded.

In Ghaipura village of neighbouring Leepa valley, some 100 kilometres southeast of here, five members of a family were killed when their house was engulfed by an avalanche overnight Friday, the SSP said.

The dead were identified as Mohammad Yameen, his wife Shamim, two daughters Shazia and Naheed and son Adeel. Their bodies were retrieved along with a lone survivor - Yameen's other daughter Nazia.

At least four to six feet snow has fallen in Leepa valley, where two soldiers were killed by an avalanche two days ago.

Leepa valley has become inaccessible due to heavy snowfall, which has also caused suspension of power generation in the local hydropower plant after 40 metre portion of its water channel was washed away.

According to officials, the latest deaths have pushed the death toll, caused mostly by avalanches, to 52 in the AJK.