Twenty killed in Kashmir snowfall

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At least 20 people have been killed and 10 are missing after heavy snowfall in Indian-administered Kashmir, police in the state say.

The road link between the valley of Kashmir and the rest of India has also been cut for the last five days.

Avalanches triggered by the heavy snow hit several homes.

Police and the army have rescued more than 30 people in a village south of the summer capital, Srinagar, where eight houses were hit by an avalanche.

Evacuated

The dead include two entire families, each comprising six members.

The authorities have evacuated several villages as more avalanches are feared after an improvement in the weather.

The sun shone in the valley briefly on Friday afternoon.

The 300km highway linking Srinagar with the winter capital, Jammu, has been closed for the past five days.

Thousands of lorries and buses are stranded on the road, which is the only surface link between the valley of Kashmir and the rest of India.

However, the authorities say there are enough stocks of essential commodities in the valley.