Students riding to school during a foggy morning in Allahabad, Uttar Pradesh (PTI photo)
A cold wave has intensified its grip in several parts of north India, affecting states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana.
The extreme cold conditions led to disruption in vehicular traffic amid formation of dense fog at several places in Uttar Pradesh. Six people were killed and 34 others injured when a truck fell into a canal in Kadura area in Uttar Pradesh due to low visibility, the Press Trust of India (PTI) reported.
Two deaths were also reported in Kushinagar, according to PTI.
According to Meteorological department (MeT) officials, night temperatures were below normal in Gorakhpur, Varanasi, Allahabad and Lucknow divisions.
The lowest minimum temperature in the state was 3 degree celsius recorded at Nazibabad in Bijnore district.
Similar fog conditions were also recorded in the states of Punjab and Haryana adding to traffic disruptions. Many trains were reported to be running late in the region due to dense fog.
Narnaul in Haryana was the coldest place in the region as it recorded a minimum temperature of 4 degrees Celsius, down by two notches below normal.
Hisar and Karnal, in Haryana, had minimum temperature of 6.2 degrees Celsius and 6 degrees Celsius respectively, down by up to two notches below normal.
In Punjab, Amritsar experienced cold weather at 4.1 degree Celsius, while Ludhiana and Patiala recorded minimum temperature at 6.3 degrees Celsius and 6.5 degrees Celsius respectively.
MeT department has predicted partly cloudy weather with dense fog during the day in both the states in the next 24 hours.