Two killed in fog-related accidents as cold wave continues

New Delhi, Jan 10 (UNI) Two people were killed in fog-related mishaps in Haryana as the cold wave continued in North West India following a drop in the mercury with Amritsar recording 1.1 degree temperature today.

At least two people were killed and 20 injured, three of them seriously, when about 30 vehicles rammed into each other in a dense fog near Sanwla village on the GT Road between Karnal and Ambala this morning. The mishap occurred due to poor visibility caused by thick fog in the area.

With these deaths, as many as 19 people have died due to the cold wave and fog-related mishaps in Punjab and Haryana so far.

The nationwide toll in the season has now gone upto 168.

Several areas in the region, including Udhampur, Adampur, Halwara, Ambala, Chandigarh, Sarsawa, Hindon and Palam in Delhi, experienced fog in the morning which cleared as the day advanced.

Amritsar turned out to be coldest place in the plains as the minimum further plummeted four to five degrees below normal in Punjab.

The cold wave also swept Haryana with the temperature hovering three degrees below normal.

Chandigarh and its adjoining areas were also experiencing a cold wave despite bright sunshine during the day. The city recorded further fall in the minimum temperature to 3.0 degrees, four degrees below normal, from 4.0 degrees recorded yesterday.

Cold wave also lashed people in Himachal Pradesh and extreme cold conditions prevailed in the tribal areas where lakes, springs and natural water bodies have already frozen. The mercury hovered at minus 5.4 degrees at Kalpa in tribal Kinnaur district.

Intense cold wave also lashed mid and lower hills in the state.

Icy winds lashed Shimla which recorded a minimum of 1.3 degree, one degree below normal.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of unabated cold wave with Srinagar recording minus 3.5 degree while Jammu registered 5.2 degree, two degrees below normal.The upper reaches in the Valley experienced snowfall following increase in the night and day temperature.

A cold wave swept through eastern Uttar Pradesh since last weeke.

Lucknowites got some relief due to bright sunshine accompanied by rise in temperature, as people in other parts of UP continued to shiver for the second consecutive week.

The winter toll in UP stands at 109.

Allahabad, Varanasi, Gorakhpur, Faizabad and Kanpur divisions witnessed a fall in night temperature Fog continued to play havoc with the schedule of trains. All major long-distance trains were late.

Rajasthan's northern and western regions are in the grip of an intense cold wave due to snowfall and accompanying icy winds in the upper reaches of Himalayas.

Pilani was freezing at 2.1 degree and was the coldest in the state . The state capital recorded 6.4 degree Celsius, two degrees fall from yesterday. However the bright sun and a clear sky provided some relief to the people.

Life has almost come to a standstill in Jodhpur, Bikaner and Jaipur divisions due to ground frost and biting cold as people remained indoors.

Delhi seems to be heading for a third consecutive weekend of biting cold conditions with no let up from the severe chill of the past few days, which saw the mercury plummet to the season's lowest of 2.6 degree on Monday, the second lowest in the last five years.

Though the minimum temperature rose slightly from yesterday's 3.2 Degree C to 3.8 Degree C today, it still remained three degrees below normal.

Kolkata city experienced a chilly morning with the minimum temperature hovering about 11.9 degrees.

A nip in the air was felt due to the north westerly winds in the morning that continued throughout the day.

At a time when Northern and Central India is reeling under severe cold wave, weathermen have predicted the withdrawal of winter from northeastern part of the country in the next two weeks.

The winter remained comparatively pleasant in Manipur with humidity inearly hours of the day as temperature dipped to three to four degree.

UNI