Two killed in fog-related mishap; cold wave continues in region

Chandigarh, Jan 10 (UNI) Two people were killed in fog-related accidents in Haryana even as the cold wave continued unrelentingly in North-West India following fall in the mercury dipping to minus 1.1 degrees celsius at Amritsar today.

At least two people were killed and 20 others injured, three of them seriously, when nearly 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 occured 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.

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

The holy city of Amritsar turned out to be coldest place in the plains as the minimum further plummeted four degrees to five degrees celsius below normal in Punjab reeling under the impact of biting cold wave.

A piercing cold wave lashed Ludhiana recording 1.5 degrees, five degrees below normal, and Patiala registering 3.0 degrees, four degrees down.

The cold wave also swept Haryana with the temperature hovering three degrees below normal. Narnaul in Mahendergarh district recorded 3.0 degrees celsius while Ambala and Karnal showed 3.6 degrees celsius each. The mercury, however, settled at 7.6 degrees, three degrees above normal, at Hissar.

Cold wave conditions, prevailing in most parts of Punjab and many parts of Himachal Pradesh and some parts of Haryana are likely to continue for the next two days, according to the Weather Office here.

It warned of ground frost formation at many places in Punjab and Haryana during the next two nights.

Despite a bright sunshine greeting the people cold wave blew across Chandigarh and its adjoining areas 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 lambasted 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.

Sundernagar in Mandi district recorded the minimum at minus 0.3 degrees while Bhuntar in Kullu district reported zero degree celsius. Icy-cold winds lashed the capital town of Shimla recording a minimum of 1.3 degrees, one degrees below normal.

The Kashmir valley continued to be in the grip of unabated cold wave Srinagar recording minus 3.5 degrees while Jammu registered 5.2 degrees, two degrees below normal.

The Met Office has predicted mainly sunny days in the region with fog or mist occuring during night and morning in Punjab and Haryana during the next 24 hours.

UNI