Two Polish nationals were killed and 21 other skiers were rescued from the site of an avalanche that hit the Indian resort of Gulmarg on Wednesday, police said.

A huge snowslide barrelled down from the 4,390-metre (14,400-foot) peak of Mount Apharwat in Indian-Occupied Kashmir and buried nearly two dozen people on the slope, all foreigners except for two local guides.

High-altitude rescue teams rushed to the site on snow scooters and retrieved the bodies of the two Polish skiers, police officer Amod Nagpuri told AFP.

"During the rescue ops, 19 foreign nationals and 2 local guides have been rescued," a police statement said.

"Unfortunately, 2 foreign nationals lost their lives in the avalanche, and their dead bodies have also been recovered."

The rescued skiers were being treated at a nearby clinic. Authorities have yet to disclose their nationalities.

A cable car that transports visitors to the top of Mount Apharwat was closed after the avalanche hit.

Gulmarg attracts tens of thousands of tourists and ski enthusiasts all through the year.

The resort is currently coated in several feet of snow after days of continuous snowfall.

The area is heavily militarised, with Indian security forces permanently stationed there owing to its close proximity to the de facto border that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.