Rajbiraj, January 4

Three persons have died due to excessive cold in Chhinamasta Rural Municipality, Saptari, yesterday.

The deceased have been identified as Ramdayal Ram, 35, Rajiya Devi Raya, 72, and Kul Deep Raya, 36, of Barahi Tole of the rural municipality.

Ward No 1 Chair Binod Kumar Yadav said the trio died due to extreme cold following a cold wave. “They died due to the bone-biting cold that has affected mid-Tarai districts, including Saptari, since the past few days,” he added. The three were daily wage earners.

Similarly, District Education Office, Saptari, has decided to close all community schools across the district for two days after cold increased in the region. District Education Officer Dol Raj Pandey said 412 community schools had been shut as per the decision of  the education committee meeting held yesterday.

“The number of students in schools is very low due to the cold for the last five days,” he added.

He said teaching-learning activities in the schools had been adversely affected due to excessive cold. The number of patients suffering from pneumonia, diarrhoea, common cold and fever, among other cold-related problems at health facilities of Saptari has increased. Medical Superintendent at Sagarmatha Zonal Hospital, Rajbiraj, Dr Dayashankar Lal Karna said as many as 200 cold-related patients had reached the hospital since one week. The hospital said patients were being treated on the floor due to lack of beds.