A local Kashmiri skier, aspiring to be a guide but without certification, took two Russian skiers, who also likely lacked any avalanche education, onto a 38-degree slope with a northeast-facing aspect. After the Gulmarg local dropped in and triggered the slide, the two Russian skiers didn't initiate a search.

Three local skiers were skiing three bowls past Gulmarg’s controlled area and one of them, Bashir Ahmad Bakshi, an aspiring ski guide, was caught and died in the enormous avalanche. Several foreign skiers were present in the area as well, although it's still unclear their role in the incident.