The residents of capital city of Rajasthan experiencing the cold days of the winter season experienced more shivers on Wednesday as heavy rain brought the mercury down, intensifying the cold wave, besides spelling trouble for the commuters and pedestrians who ran for cover.

The rain started around 1 p.m. on Wednesday. Initially light, the rain soon turned heavy, further lowering the temperature.

The minimum temperature was recorded at 10.3 degrees Celsius.

Many districts in Rajasthan were also shrouded in dense fog this morning.

Three labourers trapped under the debris after the collapse of a crumbling well that was being repaired in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district on Tuesday, died on Wednesday.

Six of the labourers were pulled out alive from the debris on Tuesday, while three of them remained trapped inside the well.

A joint rescue operation was carried out by the SDRF and NDRF for 20 hours, however, by the time the rescue team reached the three workers on Wednesday, they were already dead.

Officials said that the rescue operation was slowed down by the flow of water into the well, and they had to dig a parallel hole to reach the labourers trapped at a depth of 30 feet.

The deceased labourers have been identified as Wasid Khan (18), Sehzadi Khan (50) and her son Rashid Khan (18).

A resident of Kadatti tribal village in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Tamil Nadu's Erode district was trampled to death by a wild elephant, officials said on Wednesday.

According to Forest Department officials, Madevappa. 65, and three friends entered the forest on Tuesday to collect firewood. When they were about 500 metres into the forest at the Boothalapuram beat, they encountered a herd of elephants.

While his companions managed to escape, Madevappa was trampled by one of the elephants.

Mercury continued its free fall in the valley on Wednesday as the Meteorological (MeT) office forecast cloudy weather with snowfall at isolated higher reaches in Jammu and Kashmir during the next 24 hours.

The MeT office statement said, “On January 15 and 16, generally cloudy sky with light snow at isolated higher reaches during 16th early morning. From January 17 to 19, generally a cloudy sky, but no significant change is expected till January 19. On 20 and 21st of January, a generally cloudy sky with light snow at isolated to scattered places is likely to occur."

The department issued an advisory: "Tourists/travellers/Transporters are advised to follow Admin/Traffic advisory.”

Srinagar city recorded minus 4.8 degrees Celsius, Gulmarg minus 7.4 degrees and Pahalgam minus 8.4 as the minimum temperature. There was, however, an overall improvement in the weather in the plains of the Jammu division.

Yet another bus accident occurred in Uttarakhand on Tuesday morning when a bus carrying 30 passengers overturned near Uttarkashi's Jakhol village.

The accident took place near Sunkundi village, just 2 km ahead of Jakhol. Seven passengers sustained injuries, while the remaining passengers are reported to be safe.

The injured have been rushed to the Primary Health Center in Mori for treatment, according to the rescue officials.

The bus, operated by the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation, was on its way from Dehradun to Jakhol when it overturned on the outer edge of the road while making a turn.

Six soldiers were injured in a landmine explosion near the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K’s Rajouri district on Tuesday, officials said.

The explosion occurred in the Nowshera sector of Rajouri.

"The incident occurred around 10.45 a.m. when a soldier patrolling in the Nowshera sector of the LoC accidentally stepped on a landmine that went off injuring six soldiers. All the injured army soldiers have been shifted to hospital where attending doctors have described their condition as stable," an official said.

Areas close to the LoC on the Indian side are secured by planting landmines so that infiltration and terrorist activity on the Indian side of the LoC is prevented.

"Some of the landmines planted near the LoC on our side get shifted from their original place due to rain etc from the place where they are marked on the patrolling map. Tragedies like today are caused by these landmines called drift mines," a senior army officer said.

The Meteorological (MeT) Department on Monday warned of a new western disturbance which will reach Rajasthan on Tuesday, bringing a likelihood of rain and hailstorms in districts like Bikaner, Jaipur, Bharatpur, Ajmer, and Kota on January 14 and 15.

Rajasthan is set to experience rain and hailstorms again. A yellow alert has been issued for 18 districts across the Bikaner, Jaipur, Ajmer, Bharatpur, and Kota divisions, forecasting cloud cover, rain, and hail in some areas.

Additionally, a warning for dense fog has been issued for 15 districts for the day, said officials.

The impact of the western disturbance has already brought in chill in Rajasthan on Saturday and Sunday. Rainfall which started lashing on Saturday continued in some areas on Sunday too, causing a significant drop in daytime temperatures.

Two persons were killed while five others were injured on Saturday morning when an unidentified vehicle rammed into a Creta SUV in Bihar’s Nalanda district.

The accident took place near the Dhobi Bigha Bridge in the Chero Sahayak police station area on NH 30.

Poor visibility due to fog is believed to have been a contributing factor to this fatal accident that occurred at 8 a.m. The victims were en route to Rajgir for a picnic in a newly purchased Creta SUV when the accident occurred.

The deceased have been identified as Munni Devi (55), wife of Lal Babu alias Tuntun, a resident of Sakri Gali under Alamganj police station, Patna district, Anshi Kumari (10), daughter of the car owner Ranjit Kumar, a resident of Mahendrusudi Gali under Pirbahor police station, Patna district.

Security forces said on Saturday that a major anti-terror operation has started along the Line of Control (LoC) in J&K’s Akhnoor sector of Jammu district.

“After reports of movement of three to four suspected terrorists in the Jogwan forest area of Akhnoor sector of the LoC in Jammu district, a massive anti-terrorist operation was started by the security forces. Some locals had reported to police having seen armed suspects moving in the area on Thursday. The area was cordoned off and anti-terrorist operation started there,” officials said.

Security forces have started an aggressive campaign against terrorists, their over ground workers (OGWs) and sympathisers. Lt Governor, Manoj Sinha has directed the security forces to go all-out against the terror ecosystem to wipe it out completely from J&K.

An unabated cold wave continued in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on Saturday as the MET department forecast light rain in the plains of Jammu division and snow in the higher reaches of the Union Territory (UT) during the next 24 hours.

A MET department statement said on Saturday, “On January 11, the weather would be generally cloudy with light rain in the plains of Jammu division and snow at isolated higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir divisions during the next 24 hours.”

Srinagar recorded minimum temperature of minus 3.6 degree celsius, Gulmarg minus 6.5 degree celsius and Pahalgam minus 7.1 degree celsius on Saturday.

Jammu city had 7.1 degree celsius, Katra town 6.1 degree celsius, Batote 4.2, Banihal 1.2 and Bhaderwah 0.9 degree celsius as the night’s lowest temperature.

The 40-day-long period of intense winter cold called the ‘Chillai Kalan’ started on December 21 and will end on January 30.