The prevailing cold wave has claimed 22 more lives in Bihar, taking the total number of deaths in the state due to inclement weather to 48, an official on Tuesday said. "The inclement weather claimed 22 more lives within a span of 24 hours," he said.
The official added that nine people died in the Rohtas district, five each in Gopalganj and Saran, two each in Nalanda,Vaishali and one each in Begusarai,Arwal and Gaya districts.
"If the bone-chilling north-westerly winds continue blowing across the state, people are unlikely to get any respite from it until Wednesday," said A K Sen, a Met department official. Sen said that cold day conditions are prevailing over most parts of the state.
The official added that Monday's lowest temperature in Bihar was recorded in Gaya district at 2.7º Celsius, while Patna recorded a low of 6º Celsius.
"In view of the prevailing cold wave, all public and private schools have been closed in Patna until January 10," Patna District Magistrate Sanjay Kumar Singh said.
Last month, the cold wave had claimed nearly two dozen lives in the state.
