Agencies/Kathmandu
A severe cold spell has claimed close to 50 lives across Nepal this year even as mercury plunged below sub normal level in the capital Kathmandu.
The sharp drop in temperatures over the week has taken a heavy toll, especially in the Terai and other southern Nepal regions.
The downward drop in mercury levels continued with the temperature plunging close to minus one in the capital yesterday.
Kathmandu witnessed the coldest day of the year on Tuesday with the mercury dropping to minus 1.1 degree Celsius.
“Among the dead, 21 were women, 24 men and four children,” said Keshab Adhikari, Deputy Inspector General of Police at Nepal police headquarters.
Eight people were reported dead yesterday in Jhapa and Sunsari districts of eastern Nepal, taking the total number of dead in this year’s cold wave spell to 49.
Nineteen people had died in Saptari and Sunsari districts over the last two days, including nine who died in Saptari on Monday, a report in the state-run The Rising Nepal said.
In the southern Terai region, 10 lives were lost in Mohottari district alone.
Three people were killed in a case of fire in Bhaktapur district last week while an elderly man died due to cold in Dang district last night.
The prevailing severe cold wave sweeping through the Terai had claimed as many as 12 lives last month. Officials keeping a tab at the death toll said 49 people had died so far in the cold wave.
Most of those killed due to the severe cold were over 50 years of age. The cold wave has adversely affected life in the rural area of southern Nepal.
Meanwhile, far-west areas were struck by an earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale yesterday afternoon, according to the country’s National Seismological Centre.
The tremor was felt at around 1.29pm local time (0745 GMT) with the epicentre in the region of Bajura district, 650km west of Kathmandu, the centre said.
The earthquake was also felt in Bajura, Baitadi, Bahjang, Dadeldhura and Kailali districts of western Nepal.
However, no human casualties have been reported in the incident so far.