Patna: Dense fog across several districts of Bihar on Tuesday disrupted normal life and led to a fatal road accident in Banka, where two motorcycles collided head-on due to poor visibility, resulting in the death of one rider, officials said.
According to local reports, thick fog reduced visibility in many parts of the state, increasing the risk of accidents during early morning hours. In Banka, the collision occurred amid near-zero visibility conditions, highlighting growing safety concerns as winter intensifies.
The cold has been steadily increasing across Bihar, with the minimum temperature in the state dropping to around 9 degrees Celsius. The India Meteorological Department has warned that temperatures are likely to fall further in the coming days. Bhagalpur recorded the lowest minimum temperature at 9.9 degrees Celsius, while Patna’s minimum hovered around 14 degrees Celsius.
Meteorological officials said wind speeds in parts of western and south-western Bihar could reach up to 30 kmph. Districts such as Buxar, Bhojpur, Kaimur, Rohtas and Aurangabad are expected to experience strong north-westerly winds, which will intensify the chill. As a result, the “feels like” temperature is likely to be significantly lower than the actual reading.
Dense fog was reported over the past 24 hours in Patna, Buxar, Sasaram, Chhapra and Bettiah. Visibility in Buxar dropped to as low as 20 metres, leading to a collision between a car and a truck on Monday morning. On Tuesday, Bettiah once again witnessed thick fog during the early hours.
The weather department has issued a cold wave alert for Bihar after December 22. It has forecast that temperatures may fall by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over the next seven days, particularly during night and early morning hours, increasing the severity of the cold.
