Srinagar, March 21
Even as the over 24-hour-long windstorm that wreaked havoc across the Kashmir valley finally eased out last night, the death toll has risen to three.

While Mohammed Maqbool Magray was killed when he came under a branch of a chinar tree at Kachnambal village in Ganderbal district yesterday, Mohammad Akram, 65, who had been injured in a roof collapse in Pulwama district, succumbed to his injuries. In a similar incident, a baby identified as Tajamul Bhat died due to the windstorm at Shampora in Kulgam. The windstorm, which had touched a maximum speed of 40 knots (average speed being 24.7 knots), had also injured 14 persons and damaged around 9,000 structures.

The death toll in the avalanche in the Gurez area near the LoC also rose to three. The deceased have been identified as Imtiyaz Ahmed, Shabir Ahmed and Zaffar Ahmed Lone, who reportedly were employees of Hindustan Construction Company.