By IANS
Shimla : People across Himachal Pradesh continued to shiver Thursday as they awoke to a fifth consecutive bone chilling morning. The mercury dipped to a minimum of minus 4.4 degrees Celsius at the state capital here.
The mercury has been plummeting several degrees below normal this week despite clear, sunny skies.
Taps ran dry for the fifth straight day at most places in Shimla as water froze in the pipes. People were seen pouring boiling water over the pipes in an attempt to melt the ice.
The sprawling tribal belt of Lahaul, Spiti, Kinnaur, Bharmaur and Dodra Kwar continued to reel under a severe cold spell with the temperature falling below minus 20 degrees Celsius at several places, freezing rivers and lakes.
The tribal areas remained cut off from the rest of the world as power cables and poles have been snapped by heavy snowfall.