Cold wave claims 120 lives in North

Uttar Pradesh accounted for the bulk of 110 deaths this winter, while Bihar reported eight deaths and Haryana two.

Around 40 persons died in different parts of Uttar Pradesh since Sunday night as intense cold conditions continued to grip the state, officials said in Lucknow. While light showers in parts of Rajasthan led to a further dip in temperature in the desert state, the national capital, which had a clear sky, experienced icy winds blowing from the snowcapped northern mountains though the minimum temperature rose slightly.

Traffic on the 300-km Srinagar-Jammu national highway, the arterial link between Kashmir and rest of the country, remained suspended while poor visibility at Srinagar international airport affected air operations in the morning. Cold wave swept Himachal where the higher reaches experienced heavy snowfall.