A fresh avalanche hit Kashmir Valley today, killing an army jawan in Kupwara district, a day after 17 armymen met a similar fate during a winter warfare training exercise.

The avalanche hit Tangdhar, 145 kms from here, around 0345 hours trapping 14 army personnel, a defence spokesman said.

All the 14 army personnel were extricated from the deep snow but one of them died later.

A massive avalanche had slammed the popular ski resort of Gulmarg yesterday, killing 17 soldiers and injuring an equal number when the troops were in the midst of a winter warfare training on steep slopes about 70km from here.

The avalanche came hurtling down on the 60-strong combat troops as they were scaling the icy walls of high-altitude Khilanmarg peak in near zero visibility.

Referring to the Khilanmarg tragedy involving men from the High Altitude Warfare School, Army Spokesman Colonel A S Brar told PTI that bodies of the soldiers could not be brought to Srinagar due to bad weather and closure of the road in Gulmarg.

He said the weather was hostile in Gulmarg and its periphery due to continuous heavy snowfall. The road to Gulmarg was also closed due to heavy accumulation of snow.

The condition of 17 injured soldiers was stable, he said.