Dense fog engulfed New Delhi and parts of northern India Thursday, causing major disruptions in air and rail traffic as the death toll from a cold wave in the region surpassed 450, dpa reported. Nearly 50 domestic and international flights from Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport were affected Thursday morning as thick fog descended on the city for the second day running. Fifteen domestic departures were cancelled and 10 were delayed while 13 international arrivals and 11 departures were also delayed because of poor runway visibility, airport officials said. Flights were delayed two to three hours, but the backlog was expected to clear as the fog lifted by noon. On Wednesday, as many as 170 flights were delayed, rescheduled or cancelled after fog enveloped the airport for 11 hours. Thousands of commuters were also left stranded at railway stations across northern India as schedules of 75 trains were thrown out of gear. The dense fog also slowed down vehicular traffic in Delhi and adjoining regions as motorists used hazard lights to avoid accidents. Meanwhile, the death toll from cold weather rose to 451 in northern India after 23 more deaths were reported from Uttar Pradesh state since Wednesday, the NDTV network reported. Maximum temperatures plunged 5 to 10 degrees Celsius below normal in towns and cities in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab. Shahjahanpur recorded a minimum temperature of 3.5 degrees and was the coldest place in Uttar Pradesh, followed by Agra, where the mercury dipped to 4.4 degrees. India's meteorological department said the cold weather was likely to persist over the next few days.
