Cold wave claims nine in two days
Staff Correspondent
The cold wave sweeping over the country has claimed nine more lives and caught the poor, especially the homeless in the capital and other cities, cold. The spell is likely to continue for a couple of days intensifying at some places and dipping the mercury further with drifts of smog hanging amid overcast conditions. Many a cold affected people will continue to light bonfires to blunt the bite of the cold. At least six people have died in Joypurhat and three others in Pabna within the last two days. Hospitals have reported treating a large number of people with cold-related complications. "The weather in the next couple of days may be even colder and the mild cold wave blowing over Ishwardi, Jessore, Chuadanga and Sri Mongol is like to extend over Faridpur, Madaripur and Satkhira regions from today," an official of the Met Office said yesterday. The lowest temperature of 9 degrees Celsius was recorded at Chuadanga yesterday. The lowest temperature in Dhaka was 13.2 degrees Celsius and the highest at 24 degrees. The Met Office forecast for today and tomorrow said the sky would remain overcast in most parts of the country. Navigability on river routes may be impaired by mild to thick fog, the forecast said, asking vessels to exercise caution. UNB reports: Diarrhoea and pneumonia claimed six lives in the district during the last seven days till yesterday. Sources in the District Civil Surgeon's Office said Fatema Begum, 48, of Khetlal upazila, Farzana Begum, 14, of Akkelpur upazila and Sathi, 8, of Kalai upazila died of diarrhoea and two babies, Papri and Mimma, of Panchbibi upazila and Rupali, 5, of Sadar upazila died of pneumonia. Some, 1078 people were affected and five died of diarrhoea during the last one month. Besides, 296 people were affected and nine children died of pneumonia during the same period, the sources added. Our Pabna Correspondent adds: Three aged persons died of severe cold and hundreds of others are suffering from different cold-related diseases in most parts of the district in the last three days. The deceased were Sabura Khatun, 60, of Hasupur village under Chatmohor upazila and Ali Moshai, 65, of Majpara and Azu Prang of Doparkol village under Sadar upazila. Many of the affected have been admitted to different hospitals in the district.
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