RAJBIRAJ, Jan 8: Altogether 14 elderly people -- most of them from the Dalit community of the Tarai -- have died of cold in the last two days in Saptari district, said the police.
According to the District Police Office of Saptari, 13 elderly people died of cold on Monday while one breathed his last on Tuesday morning. With this, the death toll from cold wave has reached 22 so far in Saptari district alone.[break]
“"Until Tuesday, as many as 22 families have informed us that their family members died of cold”" said DSP Govinda Adhikari, spokesperson for the DPO Saptari.“"We are yet to verify if they all died of cold. But, it is likely that cold claimed their lives as they do not have warm clothes to stave off the cold."
According to DSP Adhikari, Tikaram Chaudhari, 50, a resident of Bajhani VDC-8 of Kailali, who was working at a brick kiln in Saptari, died of cold on Tuesday morning. On Monday, 13 people have succumbed to cold.
Those who died of cold on Monday have been identified as Sukhi Ram, of Daulatpur VDC-3, Rameshwor Mandal, of Daulatpur VDC-3, Raudhidevi Yadav, of Bairaba VDC-1, Pulakit Sardar, of Rupnagar VDC-7, Khikhari Devi Sardar, of Kalyanpur VDC-2, Radhiya Devi Sada, of Madhabapur VDC-5, Bhola Khatwe, of Piprapurba village, Kari Ram, of Banaula VDC-8, Chhapaki Devi Ram, of Banaula-8, and Jitan Yadav, of Barahi Birpur-7, Bhikhai Marik, of Chhinnamasta VDC-1, Bhukhani Devi Mandal, of Koiladi VDC-1, Chhutaharu Mandal, of Yoginiya-1 and Sukhdev Mandal, of Dhangadhi-1.
Before Monday, since the onset of this winter, eight people had died of cold. All the dead, except for the 24-year-old Bhikhai Marik of Chhinnmasta-1 and Jhallu Ram of Daulatpur-8, are above 50 years of age. And, most of the cold wave victims belong to down-trodden Dalit communities like Chamar.“
"Dalit communities like Dom, Musahar, Chamar and Dusadh are most vulnerable to cold wav”," said Raj Kishor Khang, a Dalit leader of Saptari. "They are dying unnecessarily just because they do not have warm clothe”.
Meanwhile, according to various Republica correspondents, all regular flights between Janakpur and Kathmandu have been disrupted due to adverse weather that has reduced visibility to zero. Similarly, on Tuesday, no flight took off from Bhadrapur airport due to adverse weather.
Likewise, in Sunsari district, all private and community schools have been shut down for the next four days due to sharp dip in temperature“ "We have already issued a notice in this regar”," said District Education Officer of Sunsari Birbahadur Khadka.
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