Cold, fog claim three lives in Haryana

Chandigarh, Nov 27 (UNI) Cold and fog claimed tjhree lives in Haryana even as higher reaches in Himachal Pradesh experienced another spell of snowfall today.

A rickshaw puller, identified as Ahok Kumar, succumbed to cold in Yamunanagar town of Haryana. His body was found lying near the rickshaw in the morning, a report from Jagadhri said.

In another incident, a motorcyclist, identified as Sunil (26) was killed when his motorcycle hit a rickshaw due to poor visibility in the wake of fog on the Jagadhri-Bilaspur road last night.

In yet another accident due to poor visibility, a pedestrian, identified as Shammi (30), was killed when hit by a speedy vehicle at Sadora village in Yamunanagar district. He was crossing the road when the area was shrouded in fog.

People groaned under piercing cold at various places in Punjab and Haryana as the minimum temperature stayed one to three degrees below normal following overcast sky. Icy cold winds blew across the region during the day.

The minimum dipped to 3.2 degrees Celsius at Narnaul in Mahendergarh district, turning it the coldest place in Haryana.

Karnal with 6.6 degrees Celsius, three degrees below normal, was the second coldest place in the state. Hissar, however, showed one degree above normal temperature at 9.1 degrees C.

Cold conditions prevailed in Punjab with Patiala and Ludhiana recording the minimum temperature two degrees below normal. Patiala recorded 7.0 degrees and Ludhiana 7.1 degrees C. The temperature also fell at Amritsar registering 7.5 degrees Celsius.

Several areas in Himachal Pradesh were reeling under intense cold conditions. People in the tribal districts of Lahaul spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district were facing biting cold wave following fresh snowfall in these areas. The minimum hovered below freezing point in the entire tribal belt.

Icy cold winds lashed the capital town of Shimla recording a minimum of 5.7 degrees Celsius.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana were also under the imapct of cold conditions with the minimum temperature dipping to 6.4 degrees, three degrees below normal.

The Weather Office has predicted light to moderate rain or snow at many places in Himachal Pradesh and rain or thundershowers at few places in Punjab and isolated places in Haryana during the next 24 hours.

UNI VKJ PK BS1831