Shimla has first snowfall of season
Tribune News Service

SHIMLA, Dec 7 — Shimla and the interior areas of the district experienced season’s first snowfall today breaking the long-drawn dry spell.

Reports of snow and rain in the tribal areas in the lower hills were also received.

The upper parts of the town had snow while the lower areas had sleet and snowflakes which melted after some time.

Kufri and Narkanda had a heavy spell of snow. The tribal areas of Kinnaur, Lahaul-Spiti and Chamba also had snow. The Dhauladhars in the Kangra district also had snow.

The temperature dipped in almost the entire state because of snow and rain.

CHANDIGARH (UNI): Snowfall on higher reaches in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh and light thundershowers at a few places in Punjab during the past 24 hours broke prolonged dry spell, besides causing sharp fall in ground temperatures.

Higher altitude areas in Himachal Pradesh and adjoining areas in Jammu and Kashmir reported spells of snowfall under the influence of westerly disturbances moving across Pakistan.

Tourist resorts of Wildflower, Narkanda, Naldehra, Kufri, Phagu in Shimla region and parts of Shillai in Sirmour district received first welcome mild snowfall today. Bhuntar reported 0.2 mm of rain overnight.

The day temperature in Shimla plummeted to 1.6°C after recording the low of 3.2°C, two degrees below normal. Solan too had the low of 2.6°C three degrees below normal.

A report from Shimla said the 13,050 feet high Rohtang Pass, 15,000 feet Kunsun Pass, 14,000 feet Lchansel Pass and the Dhauladhar mountains facing the Kangra valley were also having snowfall.

People in tribal districts of Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Pangi Valley of Chamba district groaned under intensified cold wave following fresh spells of snowfall overnight and this morning. The temperatures hovered around minus 8°C.

Mandi, Kangra and Dharamsala reported rains.

According to reports available with weather office here, Srinagar, summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir, had the low of minus 0.4°C this morning while Jammu stayed hotter at 13°C, three degrees above normal.

The day temperature in and around Chandigarh dipped to 21.6 against 21.8°C under an overcast sky, portending one or two spells of rain during the night.

Kids killing: witness jumps to death

LAHORE, Dec 7 (Reuters) — A key witness in the mysterious case of a Pakistani man who has confessed to killing 100 boys jumped to death in police custody today, the police said.

It said Ishaq Billa, suspected of selling acid to the self-confessed serial killer, died after jumping from the second floor of the Crime Investigation Agency office in Lahore.

The Pakistani police in the past has been criticised by human rights groups for torturing suspects.

There was no official comment on the death of Billa, being investigated for his involvement with Javed Iqbal, who remains at large after setting off a wave of nationwide fear and outrage last week when he said in a note addressed to the police that he had killed 100 boys. The police found the remains of three children in barrels of acid at Iqbal’s house in a Lahore slum.

The police has two other suspects in custody thought to be involved in what is likely Pakistan’s worst-ever serial killing case.