BANKE: The normal life in Banke district has been affected due to biting cold followed by cold wave along with the thick fog.

With the dip in mercury in the recent days, the schoolchildren, senior citizens and manual workers have been hit hard. Likewise, people have kept themselves warm by burning firewood in public places in the rural areas, Jan Ali Nau of Duduwa Rural Municipality-4 said.

Similarly, the patients of pneumonia and other cold related respiratory problems have increased after the sudden dip in the temperature, the hospitals in the district informed.

Moreover, all flights from Ranjha Airport based in Nepalgunj have been affected due to thick fog. However, some flights to the hilly districts from Nepalgunj took off due to better visibility this evening.

The regional office of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal has said that flights to and from Nepalgunj could be affected again due to possibility of fog in Nepalgunj.