Srinagar, January 10
The toll in the avalanches near the LoC in the Machil and Uri sectors in Kashmir rose to 20 on Thursday. The snow storm also damaged a number of bunkers and fencing near LoC in Kupwara and Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir.

The entire northern belt has experienced 3 to 6 ft of snowfall during the past three days, leading.

A number of security force forward pickets near the LoC were damaged after they were buried under huge avalanches which came rolling from top of the mountains.

UNI adds from Shimla: The Chamba district administration has sounded high alert in the region, after Pangi, a tribal area of the district was reported to have been cut off from the rest of the state due to continuous snowfall of more than 3.5 feet.

The western disturbance (WD) continued to bring heavy snowfall in all higher reaches with widespread rains in the lower parts of the state for the fifth day today.

The Met office said Dhundhi and Bhang Manali in Kullu district had recorded 36 and 18 cm of snow respectively, while Patsio in Lahaul Spiti received 20 cm and Keylong 38 cm of snow following the Kalpa in Kinnaur district that recieved 58.6 cm of snow.

Shimla and its other adjoining areas experienced intermittent rain till morning registering a sharp fall in the night temperature, which stood at 5.5°C as compared to 5.6 °C recorded yesterday.

It also received 25.2 mm of rain, while Sundernagar received 7.5 mm, Bhuntar 17.4 mm, Una 10.2 mm, Dharamsala 9.4 mm and 17.6 mm rainfall was recorded at Nahan.

The minimum temperature in the state varied. At Shimla, the minimum temperature was 2.8°C with the maximum at 11°C, while minimum temperature at Sundernagar was 5.4°C with 16°C as maximum, Bhuntar had minimum 3.0°C with a maximum of 10.8°C, -1.1°C was recorded at Kalpa in Kinnuar.

The minimum temperature at Patsio fell to -10.0°C, -4.5°C at Dhundi. Recorded temperature in Una was 7.7°C, Nahan10.1°C and Solan 5.5 °C.