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South Asia: Cold Wave - Jan 2007

Disaster description

Throughout January and February 2007, Bangladesh reeled under a cold wave that caused suffering for approximately 1.9 million vulnerable people who were heavily impacted by the cold spells across the country, especially in the far northern districts. The death toll across the country reached 141 (as of 24 January 2007) and cold-related diseases saw a sharp rise. (IFRC, 18 May 2007)

Cold weather across northern and eastern India killed at least 80 people as of 5 January 2007. In India's most populous state of Uttar Pradesh, 34 people died as nighttime temperatures plummeted to close to freezing. (Reuters, 5 Jan 2007)

On 8 January 2007, media reported that the total death toll from the weeklong cold snap that swept across the southern Nepalese plains reached at least 48. Most of the fatalities were reported from Siraha, Rautahat, Bara and Mahottari in eastern Nepal, which faced the brunt of the cold. (DPA, 8 Jan 2007.

Parts of Pakistan, where at least 16 people died, recorded their lowest temperatures in more than 70 years. Refugees from the 2005 earthquake who were living in makeshift accommodation suffered particular hardship, but fatal freezing cases were reported countrywide. Temperatures fell to as low as -14 degrees Celsius in northern areas. The cold weather highlighted acute shortfalls in the country's energy supply, especially of natural gas, as households increased their use of gas heaters. (DPA, 8 Jan 2007)

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