BIRJUNG: An elderly man died due to extreme cold in Birgunj on Sunday. According to the police, Jaya Singh Rawat, 60, a resident of Birgunj municipality ward no 18, Parsa died from the cold weather conditions.

The plunging temperature has been affecting mostly children and elderly people. Cases of pneumonia, common cold and asthma have been increasing in the Narayani Sub-regional Hospital, AMC, National College and other local medical clinics since the past few days.

Business in the market places has been badly hit. Public transportation has reduced frequency and attendance in the educational institutions has dwindled due the fog. Rikshaw pullers and the trolley pullers have been the worst hit.

According to the Meteorological Forecasting Division Office Birgunj, the maximum temperature in Simara was 5 degrees Celsius and the minimum was 4 degrees on Sunday morning.

Likewise, flights in Simara Airport have been affected since four days. According to Simara Airport chief Bikram Gautam, the ground visibility is 200 metres and air visibility is 400 metres while the normal visibility is 1500 and 1200 for ground and air respectively for normal flight operation. On Saturday all flight were disrupted and there were only two flights each on both Thursday and Friday. All flights were cancelled till 12 pm on Sunday.