Mercury dips to 2.2 deg C at Phulbani; Orissa death toll 2

Bhubaneswar, Jan 12 (PTI) Freezing cold tightened itsgrip across Orissa with the mercury sliding to 2.2 degreeCelsius at Phulbani even as one person succumbed in Balangirdistrict today, taking the death toll due to cold in the stateto two.

A beggar was found dead inside a sleeper coach ofSurat-Puri Express train at Kantabanji railway station inBalangir district this morning and was believed to have dieddue to severe cold conditions, Superintendent of Police AjayaSadangi said.

Earlier, one person had died due to shivering cold inSundargarh district, official sources said.

The meteorological centre here warned that severe coldwave would prevail in the state for the next four to five daysas mercury plummeted to 2.2 degree celsius at Phulbani, thedistrict headquarter town of Kandhamal, making it the coldestplace in Orissa.

As the entire western region faced bone-chilling cold,the minimum temperature in Sambalpur dropped to 4.9 degreecelsius, while it was 5.4 degree c in Sundargarh, 5.6 degree cin Baripada, and 6.2 degree celsius both at Bhawanipatna andJharsuguda, met office reports said.

The state capital recorded a minimum temperature of9.9 degree celsius as the city shivered under chilly windthroughout the day.