Death toll rises to 143 as cold wave continues in North India

Cold wave conditions continued in North India on Thursday as the death toll rose to 143. 

Several parts of North India, as well as NCR, witnessed heavy fog and a dip in temperature on Thursday leading to low visibility.

Around 22 trains were cancelled, nine reschedules and 30 were delayed on Thursday. 

Flights were also grounded as visibility levels dropped to below 100 metres.

 "There will be mist or shallow fog in the morning," an India Meteorological Department (IMD) official said on Wednesday. 

Many places in Jammu and Kashmir are facing sub-zero temperatures. The Dal Lake in Srinagar city froze at many places.

Kargil in Ladakh recorded bone-chilling night temperature at minus 23.6 degree Celsius, lowest in Jammu and Kashmir this season.

Leh was the second coldest town in the state with the minimum temperature recorded at minus 17.4 degrees Celsius.

Several reports claimed people dying of cold in India with Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board denying reports of deaths in the capital saying that "such deaths happen in summer also and it would be unfair to connect it with cold".

(with inputs from ANI)