One dies, several patients airlifted as cold wave continues in Himachal Pradesh

An elderly person died after he slipped on a snow-covered road here as Himachal Pradesh continues to reel under biting cold with Lahaul-Spiti's Keylong recording the coldest night in the past 12 years. Two serious patients were also airlifted from Lahaul-Spiti to Shimla for treatment on Friday, an official said.

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur has directed all deputy commissioners and officials concerned to ensure that all essential services are restored at the earliest in the areas affected by widespread snowfall. The CM said as many as 66 people, including pregnant women, were airlifted from Lahaul-Spiti to Kullu.

The elderly person, Kanchowk (77), died as he sustained head injuries after falling near Tibti Colony, Shimla SP Omapati Jamwal A resident of Tibti Colony in Sanjauli, he was taken to Indira Gandhi Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead, he added.

Vijay Kumar (45) of Karnal village in Hamirpur district and Lobjang Dorje (26) of Kyoto village were airlifted from Kaza sub-division to Shimla in a helicopter, Kaza SDM Jeewan Singh Negi said. Meanwhile, Keylong shivered at minus 17.6 degrees Celsius, recording the coldest night in 12 years on Thursday, the meteorological department said.

The Shimla MeT centre has issued a fresh orange warning of heavy rain, snowfall in the state on January 13 and 16. Earlier, Keylong had experienced the coldest night on January 31, 2008 with a low of minus 18.4 degrees, MeT centre director Manmohan Singh said here on Friday.

The weatherman said Shimla experienced the coldest night on Wednesday in 12 years with the mercury dipping to minus 3.7 degrees while Manali was the coldest in nine years with minimum temperature sinking to minus 7.8 degrees. On January 24, 2008, the minimum temperature in Shimla dropped to 4.4 degrees while Manali recorded the lowest temperature at minus 8 degrees on January 17, 2011, he added.

Forecasting rain, snowfall in the state from January 11 to 17 due to two western disturbances, the MeT centre issued an orange warning of heavy rain, snowfall on January 13 and 16. The weatherman said the first western disturbance will be active in the state from January 11 to 13, the other from January 14 to 16.

The colour-coded warnings are issued to alert the public ahead of severe or hazardous weather, which has the potential to cause "damage, widespread disruption or danger to life". The minimum temperature in the state fell 3 to 4 degrees Celsius below normal. The minimum temperature in Manali of Kullu district was minus 7.6 degrees Celsius, followed by Kinnaur's Kalpa at 6.4, Shimla at minus 1.3 degrees and Palampur at minus 1 degrees Celsius. It was minus 2.6 degrees Celsius in Kufri.

The minimum temperature in Seobagh was minus 2.5 degrees Celsius while Sundernagar recorded a minimum of minus 2 degrees Celsius. Solan and Bhuntar touched minus 1.6 degrees Celsius each.

The minimum temperature in Dalhousie of Chamba district was 0.2 degrees Celsius. Maximum temperatures were 2 to 3 degrees Celsius below normal. The highest temperature in the state was recorded in Sundernagar at 18.2 degrees Celsius.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)