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16 killed in Nepalese cold wave
03/01/2007 22:45 - (SA)
Kathmandu - The number of deaths caused by a cold snap in southern Nepal has risen to 16, said a radio report on Wednesday.
The cold weather front which for four days has affected the southern Nepalese plains region known as the Terai had by Tuesday resulted in the deaths of eight people, many of them elderly and poor locals who were unable to deal with colder than normal conditions brought on by thick fog.
According to independent Kantipur FM, eight more deaths were reported overnight from Bara, Dhanusha and Rautahat districts.
Two towns deserted
The cold wave has also forced local authorities in the districts to shut down hundreds of schools.
Towns across the region were deserted, the radio said, while road and air transport had also been badly affected.
Authorities at Nepal's only international airport in Kathmandu said 40 domestic flights to the Terai were cancelled on Wednesday.
Meanwhile meteorologists say the cold wave conditions are likely to continue for the next 48 hours.
The meteorological office said daytime temperatures remained between 12 and 14 degrees Celcius across the region, but obscured skies and cold winds were making life difficult.
The Terai area usually has mild winters, with daytime temperatures in the mid 20s.
- SAPA
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