Dense fog in Delhi delays 91 trains, 60 flights

New Delhi, Jan 18: Thick fog accompanied by cold wind Sunday brought visibility below 200 metres in the national capital, affecting commuters and delaying 91 trains and 60 flights.

a large number of passengers were stranded at railway stations and the IGI airport, while motor drivers had a tough time on roads with visibility dropping significantly.

According to the Northern Railway, 63 trains were late while 28 trains were rescheduled and three cancelled due to the dense fog in and around the national capital.

"Among some of the special trains that have got delayed are Duranto Express, Shatabdi Express and the Guwahati Rajdhani," an official with the Northern Railway told IANS.

"My train's timing was 5 p.m Saturday. I have been told that the train is going to take 12 hours to arrive as it is stuck somewhere in Uttar Pradesh due to the fog," Rahul Bishnoi, who was waiting for the Avadh Assam Express, told IANS here.

The visibility at 8.30 a.m. was 200 metres.

Mohinuddin Ahmad, another passenger waiting for Duranto Express, blamed the Indian Railways for not taking any initiatives to deal with the problem.

The Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI), in a statement, said poor visibility caused delay in 60 services and cancellation of three flights.

"The flight operations get affected as it becomes difficult for the pilots to fly the planes. All the passengers were informed about the delay and asked to cooperate as they were assured that the flights will start operating according to time once the visibility improves," an IGI spokesperson told IANS.

The minimum temperature Sunday settled at a notch below the season's average at 6.4 degrees Celsius. Humidity at 8.30 a.m. was 100 percent.

Saturday's maximum temperature settled a notch above the season's average at 21.1 degrees Celsius and the minimum temperature was recorded at 8.2 degrees Celsius, also a notch above the season's average.

IANS