Cold intensifies people continue to shiver in Drass, Kargil

Srinagar, Jan 14 (UNI) Icy cold winds continued to sweep the entire Kashmir and Ladakh region as the maximum and minimum temperature dropped further today, disrupting normal life.

It was the coldest day and night of the winter so far at Drass, the second coldest place in the world after Siberia, a UNI report from Kargil said.

The minimum temperature at Drass dropped one more degree this morning against yesterday's minus 20.5 degrees celsius.

The day was also cold after the maximum temperature was recorded minus 6.5 degrees, the report said adding in the hilly and other far off places, the minimum and maximum temperature was further down.

In the nearby Kargil, the minimum was minus 18 degrees.

The day at Kargil, was also cold after the temperature dipped to minus 4.5 degrees.

However, despite freezing temperature, troops remained deployed at Toololing, Tiger hill and other heights at Line of Control (LoC).

The troops are guarding these heights in Drass and Kargil sectors throughout the year since 1999 when Pakistani intruders occupied these heights in winter. Later it took troops about four months to push back the intruders.

The valley also witnessed coldest day after the maximum temperature at 1430 hrs was recorded at 4.2, a degree below normal.

However, the night temperature (minus one degree) was one degree above normal.

A Met spokesman said there could be rain or snow at isolated places in the Kashmir valley during the next 24 hours.

UNI BAS ASM SP VC1755