At least two dead in avalanche at Kashmir's Gulmarg ski resort

Victims believed to be trapped under snow in Indian Himalayas

Avalanche that hit the resort of Gulmarg shown on the screengrab. AFP

Two people have died and several were trapped after a massive avalanche hit a popular skiing resort in Himalayan Kashmir on Wednesday.

The avalanche struck the Afarwat peak, a more than 4000-metre summit in Gulmarg, Baramulla district, police said.

Two foreign nationals died in the avalanche, police confirmed. They were Polish, according to media reports.

Videos on social media showed people running and screaming as the avalanche barrelled down the snow-capped mountains.

A total of 21 foreigners and their two Kashmiri guides were caught in the avalanche, which struck at about 12.30pm local time, police said.

Emergency teams had rescued 19 people by late afternoon.

Gulmarg is a popular winter destination and is the world's third-highest ski resort, known for its powdery snow.

Avalanche warnings had been put in place across 10 districts in the Himalayan region after days of heavy snow.

A woman and teenage girl were killed in an avalanche in the Kargil district in Ladakh on Sunday.

On Friday, a massive avalanche hit Paddar in the rural district of Kishtwar. No casualties were reported.

In 2010, at least 17 Indian soldiers were killed after an avalanche hit an army training session in Gulmarg. At least 20 were killed in three separate incidents in 2017.

Avalanches have also caused devastation in Pakistan-controlled parts of Kashmir. A massive avalanche killed 140 people, including 129 Pakistani soldiers, in 2012.