NEW DELHI: Severe weather conditions claimed more lives and disrupted transport across northern India Friday as the number of deaths due to the unseasonal cold reached 500.
The Uttar Pradesh state has borne the brunt of the bitter cold, accounting for 450 deaths. The remaining deaths were reported in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Bihar states. Most victims were either elderly or poor with inadequate shelter and warm clothing.
Maximum temperatures plunged five to 10 degrees Celsius below normal in many towns and cities, while Himachal Pradesh and the Himalayan states of Jammu and Kashmir reeled under sub-zero temperatures.
The dense fog engulfing New Delhi since Wednesday caused over 400 domestic and international flights in and out of the city’s Indira Gandhi International Airport to be delayed, diverted or canceled, airport officials said Friday. Train services were also hit as 34 trains between New Delhi and northern towns were running late, and three were canceled. Thousands of air and train passengers have been stranded at the airport and in the city’s three train stations.
