Cold wave continues as death toll goes upto 130

New Delhi, Jan 5 (UNI) North West India remained in the grip of a cold wave today as the countrywide toll rose to 130 with Bihar alone accounting for 35 deaths.

In Uttar Pradesh, the cold claimed five more lives taking the toll in the season to 78.

Reports said one person each died of cold in Siddharthnagar, Bhadohi, Lalitpur and Ferozabad districts.

A beggar died of cold in Mirzapur.

All schools and colleges have been closed till Sunday in the UP capital and other districts of the state.

Allahabad, Agra, Faizabad, Lucknow, Kanpur, Gorakhpur divisions witnessed a slight dip in the night temperature.

The cold wave sweeping Bihar has claimed about 35 lives and thrown life out of gear at many places.

In view of the bone chilling cold, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had ordered closure of all schools and colleges in the state till the 10th of this month.

According to reports received from various parts of the state, five people died in Purnea, while four each died in Patna, Muzaffarpur, West Champaran, Sitamarhi, and Katihar. Three people died in Samastipur, while two each died in East Champaran and Rohtas. One person each died in Madhubani, Saharsa and Madhepura.

The night temperature in the state capital plummeted to minus one degree from 3.8 degree Celsius recorded yesterday, making it the coldest night of the season.

Most parts of Punjab were reeling under a severe cold wave with Amritsar recording low temperature of 0.3 degree, Ludhiana (Halwara Airport) 1.8 degree and Pathankot 1.2 degree this morning.

Adampur in Punjab recorded minus 2.2 degrees.

The minimum plummeted two degrees to six degrees at many places with Adampur, near Jalandhar, recording the lowest temperature in the plains.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of a cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 4.3 degrees while Jammu registered 4.2 degrees, four degrees below normal.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas in Punjab and Haryana were also under the impact of cold wave conditions with the mercury hovering four degrees below normal. The city recorded the minimum at 2.6 degree.

Seventeen deaths were reported in the cold wave in Punjab and Haryana.

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