One killed in fog-related incident in Punjab

Chandigarh, Nov 28 (UNI) Fog claimed a life even as parts of Punjab and Himachal Pradesh were in the grip of cold wave with the night temperature dipping two to four degree below normal at many places in the north-west region, touching 3.1 degree celsius at Ludhiana in the plains today.

A student, identified as Harsh Deep, was killed and his two Colleagues were injured when a car in which they were travelling collided with a truck due to poor visibility in the wake of fog at Mullanpur village in Ludhiana district this morning.

With this death, four people have died due to the current spell of cold and fog-related incidents in Haryana and Punjab.

Several areas, including Amritsar, Sarsawa and Hindon, remained shrouded in fog , affecting movement of trains on the busy Delhi-Amritsar and Delhi-Jammu routes. Bhatinda, Suratgarh, Sirsa, Ambala and Adampur also reported mist.

Several long distance trains, including 5707 Katihar Amritsar-Amrapalli Express, 3049 Howrah-Amritsar Express, 2471 Mumbai-Jammu Swaraj Express, 1057 Dadar (Mumbai)-Amritsar Express, 2919 Indore-Jammu Malwa Express and 6031 Chennai-Jammu-Andaman Express were running one to three hours behind the schedule, a report from Jalandhar quoting a railway spokesman said.

Cold wave swept parts of Punjab where ground frost may occur at isolated places in the next two nights. There is possibility of ground frost occuring at isolated places in Haryana also, according to the Weather Office here.

The mercury dipped to 3.1 degree celsius, six degree below normal at Ludhiana, turning it into the coldest place in Punjab.

Adampur recorded the minimum of 3.4 degree celsius, followed by Amritsar registering 5.5 degree, two degree below normal, and Patiala 6.3 degree which was three degree down.

The minimum plummeted in Haryana also with Narnaul recording a temperature of 5.0 degree while Ambala refistered 5.2 degree, two degree below normal, and Karnal 5.9 degree, four degrees below normal.

Several areas in Himchal Pradesh were also reeling under the cold wave. People in the tribal districts of Lahaul spiti and Kinnaur and Pangi valley and Bharmour area in Chamba district were facing biting cold wave as the minimum hovered below freezing point in these areas.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the minimum at 2.1 degree while Bhuntar in Kullu district reported 3.2 degree. Icy-cold winds lashed the capital town of Shimla recording a minimum of 3.6 degree.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana were also under the imapct of cold weather conditions with the mercury hovering two degree below normal. The city recorded the minimum at 6.6 degrees celsisus.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 1.4 degree while Jammu registered 9.3 degree, two degree below normal.

The Met Office has predicted light to moderate rain or snow at isolated places in Himachal Pradesh while the weather will be mainly sunny tomorrow with fog and mist covering the sky during morning and the evening time.

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