Four die in crashes as fog, cold blanket northern India

NEW DELHI (AFP) Dec 19, 2003
At least four people died in traffic accidents Friday as dense fog blanketed northern India, crippling road and rail traffic, and the mercury dipped below normal, officials said.

The four died in two crashes due to poor visibility in the state of Haryana adjacent to the capital New Delhi, police said.

The fog snarled traffic with passenger trains out of the Indian capital delayed by up to four hours.

The summer hill resort of Shimla recorded the lowest temperature among major cities at 3.5 degrees Celsius (38.3 degrees Fahrenheit).

"The cold wave conditions are likely to continue in some parts and intensify in other areas during the next 24 hours," a weather office spokesman said.

Last winter's cold spell killed almost 1,400 people, mostly elderly and homeless.

Hundreds of Indians also die each summer when temperatures routinely touch 49 degrees (120 Fahrenheit).

TERRA.WIRE